० K a z o k u ०
by m o o g l e d a i m e
Summary: i n u ჯ n a r u t o —ღ— Ordinary kids bring home stray dogs or homeless cats. The Yondaime's children attract visiting shinigami, demons, and devoted followers swearing their eternal service. —ஐ— neji º sasuke • • \ kagome ო itachi /
1. p r o l o g u e

**_Disclaimer:_** I make no profit from this story; I don't claim ownership of any of the characters I borrowed from various sources and no copyright infringement is intended. Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi and Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

**_Warning:_** May contain spoilers and OOC. **ALTERNATE UNIVERSE. If you hate it, please don't read it.**

**PROLOGUE**

Once upon a time, in an alternate universe far away from Konohagure, there lived a miko who had a grand adventure to re-form a broken jewel and vanquish evil. She traveled with her pack which consisted of a monk, a demon slayer, a half-demon and a little fox demon. The bonds between the pack members were tight, yet there was a very special bond between the little kitsune and the miko.

Some would even say that the miko was like the little kit's mother.

Years passed and countless of obstacles later, they finally re-formed the broken artifact but none was the wiser for the events to follow. The restored jewel finally went back to its protector with whom it was born within and when their quest to vanquish evil came to fruition, the miko and kitsune were forced to part from each other.

Even the Fates wanted to weep at what had to happen but weren't allowed to intervene.

Separated by time, mother and son pined for each other for the rest of their lives. The kit never forgot the kind human girl who loved him for him without any prejudices, and the miko never forgot the little kit who had always been her first born.

Even during the last days of the miko she remembered her little kit, and nobody would ever find out about how her soul glowed when she departed.

Both mother and kit may be no longer with the living, but the ties that bond can never be broken, even after death.

♥

The view riding on top of a gigantic frog was magnificent. He always felt exhilarated whenever he was on top of Gamabunta but he didn't have the luxury of appreciating the view right now. This wasn't the time to stop and smell the roses.

Cape billowing in the wind, he knew he looked cool even as he squinted against the sandstorm the giant nine-tailed demon fox was creating.

_Where the heck did it come from?_

He mentally shook his head; he couldn't afford to be distracted. One misstep, one miscalculation and the village might end up razed to the ground.

No, he should concentrate. The jutsu he had in mind was new, never tested, but he didn't have time to worry about inconsequential things like his _life_ when so many others were at stake.

Innocent civilians and brave shinobi were dead or dying. Now wasn't the time for distractions.

He would do this. He _could_ do this.

He was Hokage. Just a few minutes ago, he became a father.

Sacrificing his life for the sake of the village was the greatest way to die for a shinobi, and it was enough. Yes, it had to be. His son will forgive him. His son will grow up to be the best ninja ever and carry on the family tradition of defending the village against intruders.

It was enough.

He took a deep breath and relaxed his mind. The jutsu was tricky and now wasn't the time for distractions, the mantra was repeated in his mind but – "What the heck _is_ that!?"

Gamabunta's eyes crossed when he tried to look at the human perched between his eyes. "What the heck is what?" Gloved hands pointed in the direction of the Kyuubi, that much he was able to see. "It's a giant nine-tailed demon fox that is bent on destroying your village," the giant frog boss took a little puff from his pipe. His human was more laid back than he thought if he could still crack jokes.

"I'm not blind, thank you; I can see the giant demon fox that's laying waste to my village," Arashi replied as they hopped closer to the demon.

Shinobi who had been engaging the demon cheered as they saw their great Hokage come to their rescue. "The Hokage is here, fall back to a safe distance and wait for orders!"

The bodies of the dead and injured were quickly hauled away as they fanned out.

"I meant that thing," gloved hands jabbed at something atop the nine-tails "There! Can't you see it? Something's riding on top of it." He must be hallucinating. Maybe knowing that one was going to die did that to people.

Gamabunta humored his human and squinted to have a look.

"Do you notice that pink thing on top of it?" The question was whispered now. Without the squads of shinobi harassing it, the Kyuubi had gone deathly still as he faced off with the human on top of the giant frog. "It's miraculously balanced on top of it, near the Kyuubi's tails. I think it's moving. Can't you see it?"

"What are you talking about?" He was a frog for crying out loud, not a damn eagle. And the smoke from his pipe was getting in his eyes. "I don't see—"

Gamabunta never got to finish his sentence when the pink thing on top of the Kyuubi's back let out a wail that broke through the tense silence.

"Holy –!"

"Exactly!"

"Is that what I think it is? What the heck is that?"

"That's exactly what I was thinking!"

"And I thought you were just seeing things."

Arashi wanted to glare at his summon but dared not to take his eyes off of the demon who resumed snarling viciously at them after the bundle on his back wailed.

The ground trembled as the Hokage and summon prepared to attack.

♥

The Kyuubi has been defeated; Sandaime Sarutobi was sure about this. But at what price? He had an uneasy feeling about allowing the Yondaime to face the Kyuubi alone, but the ruling Hokage insisted he stay in the village "just in case".

"If I fail, you're going to be Konoha's last defense. Please take care of my son." Those were his successor's last parting words.

It didn't sit well with him but it was the right thing to do. He felt like he was sending his successor to his own death but he had no choice. Arashi's wife died birthing their son earlier today and he didn't want to add any burden to the grief the man was already feeling. He knew he could trust the Yondaime's decision.

He was a wise leader. He knew what he was doing.

He silently prayed his younger successor didn't do anything stupidly heroic like sacrificing his life though. If it were possible, as much as possible, he didn't want the newborn to lose both his parents on the same day.

The gathered elders noticed the grim look on the Sandaime's face as the newborn infant cried. None of them made an attempt to calm him down and a seal none of them recognized appeared on the boy's bare stomach before it looked like it was absorbed into his skin. Fox-like whiskers emerged on his chubby cheeks then, inciting gasps from everyone assembled.

"What's happening?" A council elder was perplexed. He opened his mouth to ask another question but was interrupted.

"Sandaime-sama!" A member of the ANBU Black Ops rushed into the room, out of breath. His clothes were bloody and tattered, his mask hung askew on his face but Sarutobi recognized him as the ANBU he assigned to personally inform him of the outcome. "The Yondaime has—"

The dread didn't have a chance to settle in the Sandaime's stomach.

"Sarutobi-sama!" A streak of white and yellow burst into the room. He was carrying a bundle of pink in his arms and a wide grin on his face.

The relief that Sarutobi felt made his old knees buckle. If he were a weaker man he would've wept with joy. "Thank goodness!"

"Yondaime-sama has defeated the Kyuubi!" Whoops of joy from the outside could be heard all the way to the somber room, lightening the heavy atmosphere.

Despite the number of casualties, it was a huge accomplishment and they took a moment to give thanks before tending to the injured and burying the dead.

"Yondaime-sama has saved Konoha from certain destruction!"

Baby Naruto was startled from his earlier crying and he opened big blue eyes inquiringly. He didn't understand the mixed emotions in the atmosphere.

"Hey little guy, did you miss me?" Arashi walked over to his son and tenderly caressed his whiskered cheeks. His eyes clouded as he silently apologized to his son.

Baby Naruto blew him a raspberry in response.

"I'm glad you came back in one piece, Arashi. I was afraid you…" Sarutobi's aged throat constricted at the thought.

His student's student understood. "I almost didn't," he smiled sadly. "I thought I was a goner."

"You must be tired, so you can give us a full report of what happened tomorrow if you want," Sarutobi kindly offered. "If the council can't wait until tomorrow, I'm sure one of the shinobi who fought alongside Arashi can give you a partial report tonight."

The council was bursting with curiosity but saw how fatigued their Yondaime was. They sighed and reluctantly agreed.

A council elder cleared his throat. "Excuse me for asking but might I inquire who that is, Yondaime-sama?" He pointed to the forgotten bundle of pink in Arashi's arms.

Arashi smiled in response and approached his son's crib, bouncing the curious little being in his arms. "Naruto, say hello to your new sister."

The room quieted to give the family a moment. New sister? Where did Arashi get the baby and when did he have time to get a new daughter tonight?

Baby Naruto cooed and reached for the pink bundle in his father's arms. The Yondaime gently set his new daughter beside his son, noticing that even though they were different hues, both his babies had beautiful blue eyes.

"I think they've taken a liking to each other already," Sarutobi remarked. He was itching to know the details of why, how, who and what but he respectfully kept his questions to himself for now. Their hero Yondaime obviously needed some space and time to spend with his new children.

Baby Naruto held his baby sister's hand in his and it looked like he was trying to hug her at the same time. Naruto, not even a day old, was already brimming with curiosity. The baby girl in turn yawned and allowed her new brother to poke and prod her to his heart's content. Long lashes touched the cherub's chubby cheeks when she closed her eyes and went to sleep.

"She looks like a little angel," one of the council elders couldn't help but say.

The proud father smiled, "She is; she's my guardian angel. If it wasn't for her tonight, I don't know what would've happened."

"What are you going to name her?"

Arashi paused for a moment. "I think I'll name her Kagome."

♥

**_Notes:_** You should try reading the second chapter before making up your mind. Thanks for the reviews.


	2. Of ninjas, monks and terra mikos

**Chapter 2: Of ninjas, monks and terra mikos**  
My sincerest apologies to Square Enix and Aerith of FFVII for the inspiration for the miko plot.  
December 21 – 23, 2006

In a private meeting hall in the Hokage Tower, the surviving highest ranking shinobi in Konoha murmured to themselves as their Yondaime gave a detailed report of what happened. The council elders, heads of clans, the Sandaime, the highest ranking squad leaders, and even two of the Densetsu no Sannin were all present. Nobody knew where Orochimaru was at the moment, so they held the meeting without him.

Jiraiya was exceptionally silent, observing the scene with sharp eyes and not asking a single question since his arrival. His primary purpose was to show his support to his former student. Yes he was curious about the events that transpired, but he knew he could always get the juicy details out of his former student later, without the formalities and stuffy atmosphere the oldies were emitting.

"… So the way how the jutsu works is that you have to feed the shinigami your soul in exchange for the power to seal your target's soul into a living vessel," the Yondaime finished his long explanation of what jutsu he used on the Kyuubi last night.

"You could've died," Tsunade said, flabbergasted, not understanding why a lot of people close to her were willing to throw their precious lives away for the sake of the village. So much like her deceased loved ones. Ever since she examined both children she was quiet, answering only to questions directed at her and no more but her befuddled eyes hardly ever left the infants and she was the only one, aside from Arashi, who would make the effort to calm down one of the fussing infants once in a while.

"Yes," blue eyes clouded at the admission "but I had no other choice. I knew of no other way to defeat the Kyuubi and I was running out of time and chakra."

"But you didn't," the head of the Hyuuga clan, Hiashi, was both curious and wary at the same time. "Explain to us again, for the sake of those who didn't get it the first time, how you escaped the clutches of the God of Death."

Fugaku, the head of the Uchiha clan, known to be not in good terms with Hiashi and was seen as the natural opposition to anything the Hyuuga head approved of, in a rare show, sat forward to hear the Yondaime's explanation again.

All the adults eyed the Yondaime closely. He grimaced in his head and allowed a hint of frustration in his voice. "I already told you, I don't understand it myself." He continued before anyone could protest. "I could barely make out _something_ on top of the Kyuubi when I arrived on the scene. I asked Gamabunta if he could see what I saw; I thought I was hallucinating. We didn't think we _weren't_ seeing things until she cried," his eyes softened when his gaze fell on baby Kagome, "so I made a split second revision to my first plan. It was a little difficult" _and deprived me of more chakra than I originally thought_, he added silently to himself, "but I grabbed her from the Kyuubi before doing the jutsu."

He paused; hesitating for a moment before he decided it wouldn't hurt to share his speculations.

"It almost seemed to me like the Kyuubi was just protecting its young or a family member when our shinobi engaged it in battle."

He couldn't fault Fugaku for raising an eyebrow in disbelief, "How could you say that?"

He shrugged, "I have no concrete evidence, I am just saying what I observed… and felt."

"Are you saying that the girl is Kyuubi's young?" Hiashi asked, wearily shooting a look at the crib on one side of the room.

The new father of his new self-proclaimed set of twins was reluctant to bring his newborns to the council meeting, but he had no one to babysit for him and the council demanded that Tsunade-hime, the best medic nin in the village, examine the babies herself. They were suspicious of the circumstances and mystery that surrounded Kagome's adoption into the village and they were also concerned of the Kyuubi getting loose from Naruto.

"No," he answered truthfully. "I'm not saying that she's the Kyuubi's young or that she's demonic at all. What I'm saying is that I felt like the Kyuubi was fighting to defend its family when I engaged it in battle. It truly felt like the Konoha shinobi were the once encroaching upon the Kyuubi's territory."

No one said it out loud, but he would bet a whole year's worth of salary on what they were thinking. He didn't care, didn't expect them to believe what he said; he just wanted to lay the cards on the table.

Sarutobi looked thoughtful. "It could be possible."

Jiraiya looked thoroughly unconcerned. "Or she could be a miko," he even yawned and watched the sparks fly.

Council member and village elder Utatane Koharu, former teammate of the Sandaime, struggled to form words. "That's absurd!"

"Preposterous!" Council member and village elder Mitokado Homura, their other former teammate, agreed.

Even the reclusive Danzo, who was almost never in agreement with any of the other elder council members and most especially the Sandaime, goggled at Jiraiya's nonchalant comment. "A miko? That's insane!" He could never trust or side with any of Sarutobi's former students, Legendary Sannin or not. In fact, the only reason why he was in attendance today was because he hoped to persuade the council and heads of clans to dispose of the Kyuubi vessel as soon as possible, son of the Yondaime or not. It was a pity that even Koharu, who didn't seem as fond of the new Kyuubi vessel as the vessel's father was, glared at him when he suggested it. "Mikos are just myths, they are not real."

"All myths are based on reality, in some shape or form," Jiraiya pointed out, enjoying Danzo's darkening face.

"He could be right," Tsunade calmly interrupted when all the high-ranked shinobis talked at the same time, arguing if the appearance of a miko was even possible at this day and age.

This caught the attention of everyone. Not only was Tsunade a part of the Densetsu no Sannin, she was also the most skilled medic-nin in the village and the only granddaughter of the great Shodaime.

"Would you care to elaborate, Tsunade-hime." Uchiha Fugaku asked curiously.

"I cannot describe it myself, but if I were to put it into words, I would say that the baby's chakra looks and feels a little different. The only word I could use is 'holy'. Also, something really curious happened to me earlier when I was examining them." They eyed her curiously when she pulled out a kunai.

"What are you doing?!" A council member gasped when Tsunade made a clean cut in the middle of her palm.

"Watch," Tsunade instructed as she replaced the kunai in her pouch and held it towards baby Kagome who was sleeping peacefully, Naruto curled up against her side. She was careful not to bleed on the infants.

The room was silent and everyone saw as Kagome unconsciously reached a chubby little hand to Tsunade's cut. The legendary sannin's hand glowed pink for a moment and when it stopped, she lifted her hand for all to see.

"She healed it," Council elder Koharu was surprised. "A baby could heal just as good as a medic-nin."

"And she wasn't even awake!" Council elder Homura added, just as amazed.

"She didn't do it using her chakra," Hiashi had activated his byakugan when Tsunade's hand started glowing pink out of curiosity. His byakugan didn't lie.

Tsunade nodded, thankful that his byakugan could back up her theory. "I was only speculating before, but now I am more certain than before. When Arashi recalled the events that happened when he rescued the baby and sealed the Kyuubi to me while I was giving him a check-up, I wondered what could have saved his life from such a dangerous jutsu. He described what he felt when he made the exchange with the shinigami, and he used the word 'heal'. He said he felt 'healed' when the exchange was made and I suspected something of the baby. I wasn't entirely sure if that was true; that was purely conjecture on my part and frankly, I was very doubtful that my suspicions would be proved right."

Tsunade paused to see if they were with her so far.

"When I went to give the babies a health check-up, I accidentally scratched my finger on the side of their crib," she pointed to a small reddish spot on the hand-woven crib. "It was only a nick and I had already forgotten about it when Kagome grabbed my finger and healed it just like we all witnessed earlier. I wondered if that was just a side effect of the exposure to the Kyuubi or some other reason, but all the signs point to one thing."

Tsunade turned to the Yondaime, "When you made the exchange with the shinigami, you said that you felt as if your soul was being pulled out of your body."

Arashi nodded.

"You also said that it felt like there were two entities pulling at your soul."

He nodded again.

"I think you're a great shinobi, but I don't think that even a Hokage has enough chakra to escape a deal made with a God of Death or fend it off by himself."

"I don't know how I did it myself," the Yondaime responded.

"I've read that holy people fight supernatural beings," Tsunade continued. "Unlike us ninja, they use spiritual powers and tap into the power of their souls. The bigger their soul, the greater their power is. I read that if trained properly, a holy person can even take on hordes of demons in one go. It is even believed that these holy persons – monks or mikos – can not only tap into their own spiritual power, but also into the spiritual powers of other beings around them."

"I have read and heard of that as well," Council elder Koharu affirmed. "The tradition of monks and mikos has long been forgotten and the scrolls telling such myths are extremely old and very rare. Only old temples and shrines keep those kinds of records nowadays and there is only a handful in our village's library. I'm surprised you've read them, Tsunade."

"Grandfather had a friend who was a monk in an old shrine," Tsunade smiled.

"This is all fine and dandy," Danzo interrupted, sarcasm dripping from his voice, "but I don't see the relevance of your gossip to our current discussion."

Several sets of eyes narrowed on the rude old man.

"Do you know that shinobi exploding tags are only pale replicas of the spiritual sutras that monks are known to use? Our healing jutsus are also based from their healing techniques." Tsunade said sickly-sweet with an underlying venom in her voice. "Of course, our tags could only explode when infused, triggered or activated by our chakra. Monks can not only make their sutras explode, it is believed that they could perform a lot of other variety of attacks including, but not limited to: subduing, stealth, invisibility, transformation, exorcism, protection, barriers and a lot more."

"I believe that's because they use spiritual energy and not chakra," Council elder Koharu added.

"Yes," Tsunade agreed, "but their specialty, especially in mikos, is healing and purification. Mushin-sama, a monk friend of mine, says that healing and purification are as normal to mikos as breathing."

"So you're saying that if not for things like assassinations and war, monks and mikos could easily replace shinobi or vice versa?" Jiraiya questioned. "Is there even a difference between the two? It's as if you're saying that mikos and monks are just high-ranked shinobi."

"No, that's not what I meant at all," Tsunade shook her head. "Shinobi skills can be learned through practice and training. We can all learn taijutsu and even though not all people have the same stamina, inherent bloodline limits or chakra reserves, our skills as ninja are limited to our chakra. Monk and miko powers are tied to their souls. There is a huge difference."

Jiraiya wasn't the only one who looked confused so Tsunade continued, "The Sharingan can copy any jutsu and allow the user to use that jutsu for his or her own, but only to the capacity of the user's abilities. A random Uchiha can use his or her Sharingan to copy Arashi and Jiraiya's Rasengan but only Arashi and Jiraiya can perform the Rasengan because only the two of them know how to execute it properly, have enough chakra to do it, and are air-type jutsu compatible. The same goes if an Uchiha copies a technique that far surpasses his natural speed. The Uchiha clan is known for their fire jutsus, but the Uchihas aren't the only ones who can perform fire-based techniques. In the history of Konoha, only my grandfather was able to use wood-type jutsus; no one can copy that even with Sharingan. Wood manipulators are very rare. A shinobi who can control all the elements is even rarer. Do you even know of or have heard of a shinobi controlling all the elements?"

Tsunade waited for the murmur of negatives before nodding. "That's because shinobi techniques are chakra-based. If it's not compatible with your chakra, you can't perform it. Holy men and women can bypass the chakra requirement; they can manipulate any type of element as long as their spiritual powers are strong enough."

Elder Koharu nodded. "Everyone has chakra, not everyone has strong spiritual powers to be considered a holy man or woman. You can train your body to gain more stamina and in turn improve your chakra reserves but you have to be born with strong spiritual powers; you can't train for your spiritual reserves. You either have it or you don't."

"Like a bloodline limit," Hiashi said.

"Yes, that is a good comparison," Tsunade agreed. "It is believed that they are inherited through blood, thus the reason why shrines are handed down from one generation to the other."

"It's like a bloodline limit that could control all elements and more." The implications of that statement were making his head reel. "Why haven't we heard about all this before? Having such a weapon would place one hidden village above all others!" The gears in Danzo's mind were already turning at the possibilities.

Arashi scowled at Danzo for calling his daughter a weapon.

"We haven't confirmed if the child is a miko or not yet," Council elder Homura reminded everyone, putting a stop to the assembled shinobis' excited chatter.

"I can send a summons to Mushin-sama to help us in this matter," Tsunade offered. Sarutobi walked to the window and gave the instructions to a masked ANBU who appeared on his summon. Tsunade then talked to the ANBU and gave him the directions to the monk Mushin's temple. It was located only a few minutes away from the gates of Konoha, it could even be considered part of the hidden village since the Shodaime helped Mushin's grandfather build it when he built the shinobi village. Tsunade was sure they would find it easily.

"What about the Kyuubi?" Danzo asked.

"What about it?" Arashi felt a little protective and stepped closer to his babies out of instinct. There was no mistaking the way the old man was looking at his son. "My son is not the Kyuubi. He is merely a vessel in which the Kyuubi is imprisoned in. He is a hero of the village."

"Yes," Danzo didn't sound like he honestly agreed with the Yondaime. "So you say but how secure is it."

"The seal is very unique and the first I've seen of its kind, but I can assure you that it is very secure." Tsunade interrupted before any violence erupted between the new father and the cranky old man. "I see you've done it so Naruto can tap on the Kyuubi's chakra in the future. That's very wise of you, Arashi. Not a lot of people can do that."

"That's a very difficult jutsu to accomplish," Fugaku acknowledged the Yondaime's skills.

"Are there any adverse effects?" Hiashi asked. "Aside from the whiskers on his cheeks," he added after stealing a glance at the crib.

"I can't say for sure right now but we should keep a close eye on him as he grows up," Tsunade answered.

"Is it safe to keep it alive?" Danzo couldn't keep his mouth shut.

"That 'it' you are referring to is my precious son."

"What reason would we have to kill an innocent baby?" Sarutobi asked.

"What if it's a security risk to the village?"

It took all of Arashi's self-discipline not to plant his fist on the old guy's face. The village elder was very straight to the point and didn't sugar-coat his words with diplomatic tones or politeness. The Yondaime decided he didn't like the man, he was calculating and unfeeling. While they waited for the monk to come, all he did was hint upon how they should dispose of the Kyuubi as inconspicuously as he could. He didn't necessarily say that they should kill the baby outright, but that was what he implied. Thankfully, none of the others were as cold blooded as him and were appalled at the suggestion of murdering an innocent, even if it was the vessel of the nine-tailed fox demon. He was but a child, they argued. He was of no risk to the village, yet, and he could be a great asset to them in the future. Danzo was eventually overruled and he would never admit it to anyone else, but he did see the potential benefits of having the Kyuubi vessel as a valuable weapon in the future.

Sarutobi couldn't help but wonder what fate might have befallen the young Naruto if his father had perished from his fight with Kyuubi instead.

There was a knock on the door.

Arashi was grateful for the interruption. "Come in!"

The door swung open and two ANBUs entered as they flanked a bald monk who had prayer beads on one hand and a satchel on the other. The monk's chinky eyes lit up, "Ah, Tsunade-hime! It has been a long time." Tsunade bowed respectfully at the old man and was promptly enveloped in a hug. "There is no need for such formalities; I've known you since you were but a baby!" The old monk admonished fondly.

"Thank you for coming, Mushin-sama." Tsunade hugged him back and made the introductions after the ANBU left and closed the door behind them.

Arashi gratefully stepped forward and thanked him as well. The situation was then briefly explained, after reassurance from both Tsunade and Mushin that any sensitive issues will be kept a secret by Mushin. Tsunade told them that the monk and his family have been keeping village secrets for as long as she could remember and that was good enough for the current Yondaime and retired Sandaime.

The old monk was flabbergasted for a moment, unwilling to believe that a miko finally appeared after all this time. "So that's why you instructed them to tell me to bring the things we use to determine another holy monk in the family!"

Tsunade nodded.

"It's been a few years since I've performed the ceremony but I can assure you it is one hundred percent accurate," Mushin assured. "My grandson has to be the most gifted monk our line has ever produced so far," his eyes twinkled recalling the little brat. "He's turning three this summer. You should visit again soon, Tsunade-hime."

"Yes," Tsunade agreed even though she could still remember her last visit. The baby had a definite attachment to her boobs for some reason. "I'll stop by to say hello to little Miroku when I have the time, Mushin-sama. And thanks again for coming today."

"Don't mention it," Mushin's friendly face suddenly morphed into a more serious one and he went through the ministrations of preparing what he had to do. The shinobi took that as a hint for silence and they cleared out of his way, opting to stick close to the walls and corners as they kept a close watch on what was about to unfold.

Arashi gathered the sleeping Kagome to his arms and woke her gently, cooing to her softly when she fussed from having her nap disturbed. When she settled down, she was handed over to Mushin who laid her on top of a blanket in the middle of the room. Arashi checked on the sleeping Naruto one more time before he devoted his full attention to the monk.

"Hmmm…" Mushin's actions confounded the Konoha shinobi, but they quietly observed the scene and didn't do anything to interrupt him. Arashi was a little nervous at first, which was understandable, but he was able to hold himself back from jumping at the old man and shaking him to demand what the hell he was doing. He didn't understand it either, but it didn't look like he was hurting Kagome so he allowed the old man to do his thing.

Several items were presented to the baby, two at a time, and Mushin made sounds on the back of his throat each time the baby chose one. Soon there were two separate piles on the floor: one for the items that the baby chose and the other for those she discarded.

Next he performed what looked to Tsunade like a standard check-up, but it wasn't anything a medic-nin normally did from her experience. The monk chanted something none of them knew or recognized first before he poked eerie glowing fingers at the baby. It worried Arashi for a moment, but when he saw no signs of discomfort from his daughter, he forced himself to relax. When Mushin was finally satisfied, he began another round of tests.

Fugaku noticed that Hiashi was watching the monk with an activated byakugan, so he too activated his sharingan, not to be one-upped by his fellow clan leader. Neither of them understood what the monk was doing and both of them were certain they wouldn't be able to imitate it even if they tried, but neither was willing to deactivate their kekkei genkai. Disabling their bloodline limits would mean admitting that they had no idea what they were witnessing and they were both too prideful for that.

"Hmmm…" Mushin was now looking at the baby with bewildered eyes. The baby blinked at him and tried to reach for her father. "Hmmm…" Mushin continued to hum, oblivious to his captive audience. He was too engrossed in his tests, unbelieving of the results. It was currently his third try, and he gasped when the conclusion remained the same. "I can't believe it!" He wheezed out in excitement.

"Believe what?" Arashi asked nervously. He didn't have any idea what was going on but he was trying to find comfort in the excited look on the monk's face. "What's wrong with my baby?" He asked again when he was ignored.

Mushin continued to ignore him, or, more accurately, didn't hear any of the questions posed because he was too ecstatic. The tests lasted a total of an hour at most, but it felt like forever to most of the shinobi in the room. Some of them were dying with curiosity and the Yondaime was starting to worry.

Arashi didn't realize he'd been holding his breath until Mushin gave his daughter back. He immediately smelled that the little girl needed to have her diaper changed. Fugaku and Hiashi deactivated their bloodline limits when the monk finished, though they remained quiet and observing. The only sounds in the room were the ones Mushin was making while he placed his things back into his bag and baby Kagome blowing raspberries at her father. Baby Naruto was still in dreamland.

Mushin started talking while Arashi changed Kagome's diaper. "Well, I can tell you for sure that this is truly a miracle!" The old monk looked like a giddy little schoolgirl. "Would you mind if I also examine your son, Yondaime-sama?" The question startled Arashi, but he reluctantly agreed.

The old man didn't take as long with his examination this time; only a few pokes and prods here, there and most especially in the belly and cheeks. Nothing too intruding yet it was enough to wake baby Naruto who bellowed his displeasure at having his sleep disrupted.

"Oh my," Mushin was immediately contrite. "I'm sorry little fellow, I didn't mean to interfere in your slumber." He tried rocking the tyke back to sleep but Naruto had other ideas.

Arashi was a little fearful that the holy man was going to proclaim his son the spawn of the demon to explain his tantrum, so he quickly snatched Naruto and rocked him with his free arm. Kagome started sniffling on his other arm, visibly unhappy that her brother was crying. Naruto eventually settled down when his sister grabbed his chubby hand in hers and their father couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. Maybe the holy man wasn't going to say that his son was an evil spawn after all.

Mushin smiled, seeing the babies' interaction. "This is incredible!" His smiled turned into a wide grin. "I can't believe I'm blessed enough to see one in my lifetime!" He looked a little speechless.

"Uh, see what exactly?" Jiraiya was dying of curiosity. He was ready to throttle the monk for some answers.

"Oh," Mushin grinned sheepishly, "I'm sorry, I tend to get a little carried away when I get too excited."

"No kidding." Jiraiya rubbed his ribs from the jab that statement earned from Tsunade.

"Is it safe to assume, Yondaime-sama, that you sealed the Kyuubi inside your son?" The Konoha shinobi were surprised at the man's question. Upon their agreement, when the events were explained to him earlier, no one mentioned to whom or where the Kyuubi had been sealed. All he was told was that the Yondaime performed a jutsu involving a deal with the shinigami sealing the nine-tails and that was it.

"How did you know that?" Council Elder Homura demanded.

"True holy men can sense youki," Mushin replied. "I could sense the demonic aura from the time I stepped through the gates, and I was able to pinpoint the source when I entered the room." Arashi looked a little disturbed that Mushin was able to discern as much. "Don't worry," Mushin smiled kindly at him, "the seal is the best one I've seen in my life. I doubt I could have done one as good as that and your son is very healthy from what I could tell."

"Do you know if he's going to suffer any side-effects from housing the Kyuubi, Mushin-sama?" Tsunade, ever the medic-nin, asked.

Mushin shook his head. "Not that I'm aware of, but I'm fairly certain he'll be more than a few steps above the rest of us ordinary humans." He counted off each speculation with his fingers, "Advanced healing, top-notch immune system, and the ability to tap into the Kyuubi's chakra from the looks of the seal are just a few of what I'm guessing he'd be able to do. It really is impressive," he complimented the Yondaime once again. "In time, if he could tame the fox, he could probably manifest fox-like qualities if he wanted to."

Not a lot of shinobi in the room were sure if that was a good idea.

"Is that wise?" Danzo inquired.

Mushin didn't mince with words or lie to them. "He may have berserker capabilities which could prove devastating, considering," the alarmed gasps were understandable so he hurried to explain, "BUT nothing we can't control. The Shodaime was known to have the ability to control bijuu and jinchuriki."

"That ability is no longer available since the Shodaime is dead," Danzo said. Tsunade, his only remaining descendant, didn't manifest that kind of power either.

"Yes, but it's not to say that it's impossible. I can teach you the art of making sutras that are specially designed to calm berserker bijuu." Mushin never lost his smile. "It's not impossible, but it is a little known fact since not a lot of monks or mikos know about it, and those who do are reluctant to share the knowledge outside their own temples."

"What's the catch?" Council Elder Koharu was suspicious. "Why are you willing to share this information with us if it's this important?"

Mushin didn't take offense to the air of mistrust in the room. "One, although my family might not live inside the hidden leaf village, we still feel like we're still part of it. Two, I want to help. Three, I'm hoping that you will allow me to monitor the babies and perhaps offer my tutelage for the future, but only if you're willing," he said to Arashi in particular, "Four, it is my sacred duty as a monk. And five, I would be honored to provide my services to the miko and her family." He finished his speech with a reverend bow to Arashi who was still holding his children.

Blue eyes widened at what the monk just said. "So my daughter really is a miko?"

"Yes," Mushin paused for a second, "I feel really blessed that I was able to meet one in my lifetime. Although there are monks aplenty, some with more spiritual powers than most, mikos are very rare. The last recorded miko in history existed over a thousand years ago."

Danzo's eyes weren't the only ones that lit up in wonder and something else. It made Arashi clutch his daughter more tightly.

"I would be honored if you would teach her about her spiritual powers when she's old enough to understand Mushin-sama, but I'm a little fearful of allowing her to venture out of the village."

Mushin nodded in understanding. "I can sympathize, Yondaime-sama. I too am strict about letting my grandson out of the shrine grounds for safety purposes. Once she's old enough, you can send someone to summon me and perhaps I can make a special house call. I would do anything to be the mentor of the miko."

Arashi smiled. "Thank you."

"She is also another reason why I don't think we have to fear much from the Kyuubi taking over your son or going berserk," Mushin added. "Your seal is very sturdy to begin with, and I do have high hopes for…"

"Naruto," Arashi added for his benefit.

"Yes, Naruto-kun," Mushin nodded, "I have high hopes that Naruto-kun will be able to manipulate Kyuubi no Youko's chakra as if it were his own if he is trained enough, and if he does go berserk, I'm sure that…" he looked at the baby girl…

"Kagome," Arashi came to his rescue again.

"Yes, Kagome, thank you. I'm sure that Kagome-chan will naturally purify his youki and make it harmless like she did when you fought the nine-tails."

Arashi's eyes widened. "Is that what happened? She purified the" he was now only getting used to the word "youki?"

"I can't say for sure because I wasn't there in person, but that is my hypothesis. I believe that her miko powers reacted to your jutsu and the Kyuubi's youki."

The shinobi were now listening carefully. Some of the older ones unconsciously found a seat to sit on while most of them just leaned on something for support while standing up, paying full attention to the monk.

"Tell me, Yondaime-sama, do you notice or feel anything when you're holding Kagome-chan?"

Arashi looked thoughtful. "I do feel safe and calm when I'm near my children, but I think it might be only because I'm their father and wish to be near them to ensure their safety."

Mushin smiled a bit too much. "I'm sure it's because you're their father, but that doesn't explain the same feelings others have probably been feeling too. Am I right?"

None of the big strong macho shinobi wanted to admit it out loud so Tsunade was forced to answer this one. "I was wondering why that was. I thought it was a little abnormal but I figured it might have just been my imagination."

"Mikos' auras are packed with love and nurturing. In the future, she will learn how to control her emotions and mask it, but until then we are all susceptible to her uncontrolled aura."

Danzo tried to narrow his eyes at the baby girl but failed. He couldn't even conjure feelings of irritation towards the baby. He could feel mistrust towards the boy Kyuubi vessel, but his hatred didn't have time to take root before they were also washed away. No doubt by the miko's "uncontrolled aura". He felt a little frustrated.

Mushin's face lost its jolliness all of a sudden. "There are some people who would want to take advantage of this and probably attempt to taint the miko. Others have tried before and I don't doubt that they will try now. As I've already said before, mikos are rare. It would be wise if no one else outside this room finds out about her true nature until she learns how to defend herself properly," he gravely advised.

"I will protect her with my life," Arashi promised.

Mushin looked him in the eye for a full minute before he finally nodded in satisfaction.

The old monk answered more questions from the council members before the meeting was adjourned, but Arashi felt like a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders when it was done because he felt safer for his son. His daughter's safety was another cause for concern, but he decided to not let them both out of his sight until they turned thirty to solve all the problems. He had been given a new chance at life and he'd be damned if he didn't enjoy it.

All of them had been sworn to secrecy and none of the sensitive information discussed in the chamber was ever to be talked about again unless it was of dire importance. It was a pity Orochimaru missed all of it; he wasn't going to get any second chances since his teammates were prohibited from telling even him.

It was dark by the time the council disbursed. The Yondaime didn't pay much mind to Fugaku's or Hiashi's too-friendly suggestions for 'play dates' for their children. He was too tired to notice the glares the two heads of clans and fathers threw each other when he wasn't looking their way. He barely caught what the two clan heads were saying. He could see their mouths moving and was sure they were forming words, but he was too exhausted to listen.

Something like Hiashi had a fine nephew (his twin brother's son, he shared proudly) Arashi was sure to like and Fugaku having not only one 'puny nephew' but having two healthy, strapping _sons_. He didn't pay attention to which genius Fugaku was talking about was when he nodded in agreement to whatever the two were asking of him. He was currently too tired to pay attention to clan politics and his arms were going numb from holding on to his babies all this time. Still, he refused to hand them over to anyone, even his trusted sensei, so he bobbed his head in agreement to whatever Hiashi and Fugaku were telling him. It worked, and the two clan heads went home smiling.

Arashi then offered his home to the old monk to stay for the night and Mushin gladly accepted, eager to spend more time with the fledgling miko. He stated outright that he meant to go down in the history of monks and mikos as Kagome's sensei, earning a laugh from Arashi. At least the man was honest. Tsunade also opted to come along, as well as Jiraiya. Tsunade wanted to talk more with Mushin and Jiraiya felt his presence would make his former student relax adequately to have a good night's sleep tonight. After all that's been revealed, he knew his student too much to know that the father was going to be worried enough to stay up all night to guard his children if needed. Not that he would admit it to anyone but Jiraiya didn't want his former student to get sick with worry. Arashi was already showing signs of an overprotective father and the previous days' activities were starting to take a toll on the man. He had bags under his eyes and he was acting too clingy to his babies. The man was also still mourning the recent loss of his wife.

The Uzumaki house wasn't overly large, but it had enough rooms to accommodate the three guests, two babies and their father. He and his two children were the only people left in his clan right now, but as all clan houses went, there was a spacious courtyard in the front, a fair sized dojo to train in, an ample backyard for the children to explore, several bedrooms and all the other rooms that came standard with the other houses. He never really noticed the size of his home until he came home to it without his wife there to greet him. He guessed his babies would want separate rooms in the future, but sharing the master bedroom with him with their crib beside his bed put his worries at more ease for now.

Mushin was given a brief tour of the house and saw an opening that he immediately took advantage of. "Would you mind if I placed spiritual wards around the house, Yondaime-sama?"

Arashi shook his blond head, "No, not at all. Thank you, Mushin-sama."

The Uzumaki household didn't have any servants, so Tsunade prepared their dinner while Mushin placed the protective wards around the house. They were very effective against evil spirits, miasma, evil jyaki and ill intent just to name a few. Jiraiya went to help Arashi give the children a bath. The two men were visibly exhausted and dripping wet when they finished. They learned the hard way that two babies, when rubbed with soap, were as slick as greased piglets. The little rascals enjoyed flailing about before escaping their grasps and going underwater, scaring the wits out of the fully grown shinobi until they were able to fish the babies out. The twins made it into a game and Jiraiya could swear it was just to torment them.

After dinner, Mushin asked if they could have a private discussion between the four adults now that the house was 'secure'. They gathered in the living room and spoke in hushed voices because Arashi was giving his children their last bottle of milk before bed. Mushin's attitude was a bit curious and they found out why when he spoke.

"When you performed the jutsu, I believe that you should have died." Arashi didn't disagree with him. He nodded honestly. "I didn't want to say this in front of the council because I didn't want to put the miko in a bigger risk that she already is and I need to brush up on my scrolls for more information. I can tell you right now that I think both of your children are special."

"Of course they are," Arashi agreed. His children were special regardless of all the circumstances surrounding them right now.

"Yes," Mushin agreed. "But what I'm saying is that we have a legend among monks… truly powerful spiritual mikos are rare and far in between because it is believed that their souls are reincarnated."

Tsunade was trying to figure out if that was a good thing or a bad thing, "Reincarnated?"

"Yes," Mushin nodded. "That's why each miko is said to be more powerful than the previous one. Their souls gather more spiritual powers as they grow through the years. The spiritual powers are inheritable, but it's not always guaranteed to have monk and miko descendants from mikos. Stronger chakra reserves and everything a shinobi could hope for, yes, as well as desirable things like improved or new bloodline limits, but no definite guarantee for spiritual strength. Miko lines are more unpredictable than monk lineages."

"How come?" Jiraiya asked, leaning forward.

"The reason why miko lineages are mostly unrecorded is because – I have no other way to say this but I think you'll understand – they tend to pop out of nowhere."

Arashi felt like he was missing only a few more pieces of the puzzle. "I first saw her with the Kyuubi and it was acting like we were the ones intruding on its territory and not the other way around like everyone believes." He was starting to feel perturbed from the excitement the monk was showing. It didn't just look right coming from an old guy.

"One more legend surrounding special mikos is that they are believed to be borne out of the earth, or by the earth herself."

Jiraiya thought he didn't hear right. "What?" He forgot all his questions about new bloodline limits or improving them.

Mushin was too excited to repeat it to him. "That's why they could easily tap into the powers of the elements and everything else around them. They are one with nature, one with everything. Even though it is normal to think that demons and mikos are natural enemies, special mikos borne out of the earth are special cases. Most earth-borne mikos are normally raised in the wild by animals or whichever species gets to them first. It has been a subject of long debate in my circle but I firmly believe it to be true and the main reason why records of them are so scarce. Only those who are found and raised by humans are recorded." He leaned forward to whisper even further, "I think that Kagome-chan is one, based on the events you described. I think that the Kyuubi was the first to detect the terra miko and was going to be the species to raise it when fate led you to intercept them."

Arashi didn't know if the old monk was taking illegal drugs or if he was just pulling his leg. A glance towards Tsunade made him think he was serious; she looked really fascinated by everything that he said.

"I thought those stories were just fairytales." Jiraiya has never seen Tsunade so excited before. "Grandfather used to tell us stories about different fairytales to put my brother and me to sleep when we were younger and one of his stories was about what he liked to call a Terra Miko."

"He might have heard that story from my grandfather." He could remember the Shodaime's love for nature and he remembered the first Hokage's fascination with his grandfather's stories about how mikos could be one with the environment.

Jiraiya was a little slow but not _that_ slow. "You're saying that she's literally a child of nature so does that mean she's not really an orphan since she didn't have any parents to begin with?"

Mushin shook his head. "I beg to differ, Jiraiya-sama. We could say that she was borne out of mother earth and her father is Arashi-sama. The fates have chosen him and that is as good as any blood-relation. I'm even going as far to say that if we were to perform a paternity test, Arashi-sama would undoubtedly be the father."

Jiraiya barked a laugh. "What is that - reverse immaculate conception?"

Tsunade glared at him for that one but Mushin took it in stride. "That's one way of putting it. Terra mikos are known to adapt to their situations and are one with their environment, always remember that. Arashi-sama has claimed her as his daughter and that is what she will be. I would also confidently say that already Arashi-sama is feeling overtly parental towards her, feeling no different as he would for little Naruto-kun. It started when he performed the sealing jutsu. Instead of eating his soul, he bonded with his daughter and his daughter's spiritual powers warded off the shinigami from devouring him. The Kyuubi sealing then made the bond with Naruto-kun and completed their family."

"Interesting," Jiraiya acknowledged.

"I have other theories but I am not one hundred percent sure about them, so I'll save those for another day."

"You talk about me like I'm not even in the room," Arashi shook his head and followed Tsunade's instructions to burp Kagome who has finished her bottle. Naruto was still suckling his, though his eyes were starting to droop sleepily. He still wasn't sold on the idea of his daughter being this so-called ultra-rare miko Mushin was talking about and he was too tired to have one more thing to worry about.

"It would be best for your family if no one else finds out about what has been said here," Mushin advised. All three shinobis nodded in absolute agreement.

After he finished burping Kagome, it was Naruto's turn and Mushin wisely called it a night, seeing the exhausted parent. Jiraiya was too curious to go to sleep so he and Mushin stayed up longer and talked about what the monk meant when he mentioned improved or new bloodline limits. Tsunade helped Arashi tuck the babies in for the night and returned to the living room to participate in their conversation.

Arashi dreamt of foxes, shinigamis and dogs that night.

The next morning, Mushin left early in the morning. Arashi thanked him repeatedly for his help and the old monk reminded him of their agreement for the miko's training just as many times. He also promised to visit again soon with his grandson. Tsunade cooked them breakfast before taking off, and Jiraiya decided he was going to crash in his former student's place for a while longer to help out a bit. He would never tell Arashi that he was worried about what was going to happen to the babies once his short reprieve from Yondaime duties ended. The new father didn't look like he was open to the idea of getting babysitters and the twins were certainly a handful, based from his experience with them last night.

His internal musings were interrupted by a knock on the door. The people on the other side were as surprised as he was when he opened it.

"Hiashi, Fugaku! What are you two doing here?" was his friendly greeting.

"Jiraiya-sama, what a surprise to see you here. Are you staying with Yondaime-sama now?" Hiashi asked.

"No, no," he brushed the Hyuuga clan head's question off with a wave. "I'm just helping out for now. The little tykes might be too much for him to handle. Come in, come in. Arashi, visitors!" He bellowed.

Fugaku and Hiashi regarded each other coolly before they followed the Sannin.

A disheveled Arashi bottle-feeding baby Naruto yawned into his hand emerged from the doorway. "Who could it be so early in the morning?" He hadn't even eaten breakfast yet; the babies woke him up for a feeding and he had just finished with his daughter when Jiraiya shouted for him. "Hiashi-sama! Fugaku-sama! What a surprise!" He goggled at his early-morning visitors. They were both toting what looked like diaper bags and there were three children with them. "Is there any problem?"

The two clan heads looked at him expectantly. "We're here for the play date," Fugaku told him.

"The what?"

"The children's play date we agreed upon yesterday," Hiashi reminded him. He was carrying a sleeping baby in his arms. "I was telling you about my brother's fine young son and we talked about letting him meet with your daughter. His name is Neji."

"My eldest is only six but he's already the top student at the academy," Fugaku didn't want to be outdone. "This is Itachi," he introduced a rather stoic child. "This is his little brother Sasuke if the slight age difference bothers you."

Jiraiya turned his back from the scene and his shoulders shook as he tried his best to muffle his guffaws with his hands.

He was a little slow this morning but the situation finally dawned on Arashi. His blue eyes widened and his grip on Naruto tightened. "Uh…" He couldn't find the right words to say in a situation like this, it was too weird for him. "This is Naruto," was all he could think of saying.

"Is your baby girl awake?" Fugaku was every bit the Uchiha clan head even with a baby in his arms, a diaper bag on his shoulder and a toddler at his feet.

"I'll go get her," Jiraiya generously offered, shoulders still shaking. He returned just a moment later and dumped the wide-eyed baby girl on her father's arms, then sat on the sofa to watch the show.

Fugaku broke the silence. "When your daughter marries into my clan, she won't have to worry about things like joining the main or branch family."

Hiashi frowned at Fugaku's use of 'when' instead of 'if'. "Surely your daughter would want to marry into the best clan in Konoha instead of a second rate one," he asked a bewildered Yondaime. Fugaku narrowed his eyes at the Hyuuga head for what he implied about his clan.

"My daughter is only a baby, she's not thinking of marriage yet," Arashi told them. What have these clan heads been drinking?

"Yes but as her father, you have the right to pick a fiancé for her. I have two marriageable sons you can choose from," Fugaku proudly presented his boys for inspection. Little Itachi stood in Arashi's room bravely, unaware that his father was making a sales pitch in behalf of him. Little Sasuke was absolutely oblivious; he sucked his thumb quietly as he slept. Their mother Mikoto was surprised their father had arranged a play date with the Yondaime's children, and she had no clue what her husband's true plans were regarding their boys.

Hizashi, Hiashi's twin brother and Neji's father, was properly informed of what his twin wished to happen. He didn't have any objections and was even glad that he was eager to offer any of his and his son's services to further his twin's agenda. The Branch House lived to serve the Main House.

"I have obtained permission from my brother to agree upon any future union regarding Neji's future and I consider him my own son, since he is my twin brother's child. It were as if he was my own son," the last part wasn't exactly true; he had only first met his nephew today when he picked him up from his brother, but the Yondaime didn't need to know that. He needed to have the daughter marry into his clan by any means possible. It was a pity that he only had a daughter, but at least his brother came through and produced a son. The Hyuugas were the ones who would benefit from what the miko could add to a clan and not anyone else.

"I…" Arashi was speechless for a moment. "I am not going to interfere with those affairs in my daughter's life. I wish to let her choose her own partner in the future, allowing her the same freedom I had. If she comes to fall in love with anyone when she is of the right age, I will assess the man's quality but I refuse to make the decision for her." Arashi smiled kindly at the both of them. He never thought being a father would be this hard, his daughter wasn't even in swaddling and yet she already had suitors knocking on their door. How would he handle this when his children grew up into teenagers? "I hope you understand," he bowed his head in apology.

He knew that political marriages had its advantages, but he just wasn't willing to subject any of his children to that. He wanted them to marry for love and not for political gain.

Fugaku nodded. He was confident that the Yondaime's daughter was eventually going to marry into the Uchiha clan; he had two sons that would ensure that.

Hiashi was just as sure with his nephew. If the child grew up to look anything like his father (who was his identical twin), then he would have no problems wooing the miko in the future to make sure that she joined their clan and not anyone else's.

"Then allow my sons to get to know your daughter better. If you need someone to look after them when you are busy, my wife would be more than happy to take care of them," Fugaku offered.

Arashi wasn't sure if he was going to take that offer in the future or not but thanked him anyway.

"The Hyuuga house is also always open to you and your children, Yondaime-sama. I have a daughter who is near your daughter's age and I am sure she wouldn't mind having a playmate over."

"Uh, okay. Thanks." He felt awkward.

Jiraiya looked a little disappointed that things ended the way they did but it did amuse him, however short the 'show' was. Staying at the Uzumaki house afforded him ringside seats to where the action was and the visits from Fugaku, his sons, Hiashi and his nephew became a weekly occurrence. Arashi was able to politely skirt away from the issue of leaving his kids in the Hyuuga or Uchiha households while he worked since he was finally able to work out a schedule that involved Jiraiya, Tsunade or Kakashi as sitters. Kakashi was an accidental sitter but became a regular when Kagome fell in love with his nin-dogs. She showed great interest in his one sharingan eye and often spent a lot of time looking at it. When all three were unavailable he would just bring the children to work. The Chuunins on duty and his assistant would take turns cooing and helping him take care of the babies when that happened and the system worked pretty well for him.

His children were mostly well-behaved and rarely ever pitched any tantrums as long as he showered them with lots of love and attention. Kagome seemed to be a calming influence on the more energetic Naruto, able to calm him down from a temper tantrum with just the touch of her hand or her mere presence. It was another thing all together when the little girl was the one feeling frustrated though, because when she cried, Naruto cried with her and it was hard to calm two hysterical babies at the same time.

Still, they were little angels most of the time and the only time when his babies pitched the mother of all tantrums was when, he recalled, the reclusive third member of the Densetsu no Sannin paid them a home visit.

Arashi was a little reluctant about his children going near Orochimaru since the guy made the hairs on the back of his neck stand, but Tsunade made them a great dinner and threatened physical harm to anyone who didn't want any part of it. He assumed his discomfort with the Sannin was picked up by the emotion-sensitive Kagome who started wailing when the snake Sannin approached her and refused to be in the same room as the man. Naruto was greatly upset that his sister was throwing a tantrum and threw one of his own and the adults had a pounding headache by the time Arashi was forced to put his babies into bed early.

Orochimaru wasn't aware about the real circumstances of Kagome's origin and was only trying to make small talk to ease the awkward silence that was left after the babies were put to sleep when he pointed out how Kagome's eyes were blue like Arashi's and his son's yet her hair was a pretty black. As far as he knew, Kagome and Naruto were born as biological twins from the same father and mother and he was curious as to how the abnormality happened. Thankfully, Tsunade saved Arashi from answering and told Orochimaru that Arashi's wife, if Orochimaru could remember, had dark black hair and it wasn't uncommon for _fraternal _twins not to have absolutely identical features.

The snake Sannin accepted the explanation as fact and soon his questions turned to focus on Arashi's baby boy instead. If Arashi didn't have the headache pounding on his head, he would have noticed the alarm bells going off instead. They answered Orochimaru's questions throughout dinner, enough to satisfy his curiosity yet never revealing anything confidential the Sannin missed when he failed to attend the council meeting that fateful day.

Arashi never was on great terms with his former sensei's teammate, and the gap between them increased exponentially when he was named as the next Hokage. He could tell that the snake Sannin wanted the title badly, but they remained friendly because of they had a lot of common friends. Looking back, the Yondaime felt like he should have known something wasn't exactly right when Orochimaru came to dinner. He asked about how Arashi's former student Kakashi was doing and how he was coping with his new sharingan eye and their conversations centered on the Uchihas, bloodline limits and the Kyuubi. When asked about what he was up to these days, he merely answered "Oh, you know, the usual, experimenting in the lab and such."

The reason for Arashi's discomfort became clearer months later, when Orochimaru's illegal laboratory was discovered and he left the village to become a missing nin. The other two remaining Sannin took the blow hard. Jiraiya took it the hardest, since he attempted to bring his renegade teammate back to the village and came home beaten near to death. Tsunade and Jiraiya spent a lot of time holding Kagome, for her comforting aura, if Arashi were to guess, and it took months before either of them looked and acted like their normal selves again.

Tsunade was the first to bounce back, concentrating on her work and improving medical jutsus. Mushin was extremely helpful in this area and soon, Konoha was known throughout the world as the hidden village with the best medics and medical jutsus. Jiraiya bounced back by putting his spying on women's bath to use. He wrote the first book in the Icha Icha Paradise series and earned a life-long fan in Kakashi.

Life in Konoha was not perfect, but it was slowly going back to normal.

Years passed and the children grew up steadily. Itachi graduated top of his class at the academy at age seven and kept his weekly visits in the Uzumaki household. His little brother seemed to enjoy the company of the odd twins and he silently admitted to himself that they entertained him as well. The boy Naruto-kun was a bundle of joy who had a big personality and the girl Kagome… well he couldn't really explain it but he _felt_ things when he was around her. It was strange, but not unpleasant. He mastered his sharingan at age eight, much to the pride of his father, and Kagome, for some reason, was extremely fascinated with his sharingan. Kakashi, their frequent babysitter, told him it was normal. He noticed she was fascinated with the Hyuuga's white eyes, too. She spent just as much time looking at Hinata, Hanabi and Neji's optical devices.

There was a small incident when he was nine and that Hyuuga boy Neji came to their weekly Uzumaki meetings with a curse seal on his forehead. Hinata and Hanabi were absent that week. Naruto and Sasuke took turns poking Neji's forehead, thinking the drawings on it were cool. Neji didn't appreciate their attention.

Kagome didn't appreciate the curse seal on Neji's forehead.

She took one look at it and started crying; not even Kakashi or his army of nin-dogs could calm her down. When Kagome cried, Naruto cried; she refused to let go of Neji and he ended up spending the night with the Uzumakis with the twins clinging to him. The next day, he overheard his father telling his mother that 'the curse seal from that Hyuuga boy's forehead has been purified'. It was the talk of the town and his fellow genins, especially his bestfriend Shusui, who knew about his close relationship with the girl and her family. He was hounded with questions for several days and his father wanted to know what exactly happened.

He didn't know what exactly happened, he explained to his father, and his father told him to ask about it, but things were normal as usual in the Uzumaki house. He didn't know when it happened, but his weekly visits with the Uzumakis were the one routine in his life he didn't feel apathy with. Graduating to Chuunin at age ten added more burdens to his role in the clan, and the only place where he felt like he could relax was when he was with the little kids who were half his age. There was just something regarding the blue-eyed girl that made him feel at ease.

In fact, no one was the wiser but it was the only thing that was keeping him sane.

Yes, even though things weren't exactly perfect, life was currently good in Konoha. Itachi was promoted to captain of his own ANBU squad at thirteen. Neji, without his curse seal, was now on his second year at age eight. Hiashi was never able to mark him again; there was some kind of force preventing him from it. At the same time, the Yondaime's twins, age seven, started their first year at the ninja academy.


	3. You're in the Academy now

**Chapter Three: Academy Life**  
December 29, 2006

"Hurry niisan, hurry!" Sasuke tugged at his brother's hand excitedly, dragging the older sibling to the ninja academy. Today was his first day of school. He couldn't wait to begin his formal training on following in his niisan's footsteps. Today was the first day for his journey that could make him to a son that his father could brag about just like his otousan did with his niisan.

"Slow down Sasuke," Fugaku admonished, appalled that his youngest was so carefree. "You remember what we talked about this morning, don't you?"

Sasuke's enthusiasm wasn't dampened in the least bit but he did pause in mid skip and tug. Uchiha features that were an uncanny replica of his older brother's were carefully schooled into his best imitation of his perception of an Uchiha Look. "Yes, 'tousan."

Fugaku nodded, satisfied for now.

Itachi felt a little pity for his brother, feeling the noose that was the clan's burdens tighten around his neck. Just yesterday he had an argument with his father regarding his role in the clan. The head of the Uchiha clan expected him to go on that top secret mission he didn't want to accept and they clashed heads. His father accepted the mission without even consulting him, assuming he would say yes because Fugaku himself was going.

Well, he was wrong. Itachi hated it most when people presupposed he would do something because he was an Uchiha and that was to be expected of him; he was thirteen now and captain of his own squad. He had the right to make his own decisions.

When his father remained stubborn, Itachi reminded him that family members were expected to attend the opening ceremony held for new students in the academy and he planned to be there for Sasuke. Someone had to be, he added in his mind. It was a wonder the younger Uchiha still held an air of innocence around him despite being raised in their household. Itachi had lost that sense of innocence at age eight when he activated his sharingan.

Defeated and ashamed that he forgot about his own son's opening ceremony, Fugaku admitted defeat. It also helped in Itachi's favor when he mentioned to his father that the Uzumaki twins were also starting academy tomorrow; they were going to be in Sasuke's class. The proverbial nail on top of the coffin, as others would say.

Fugaku carried full responsibility and pulled both his and Itachi's name from the mission list then looked for suitable replacements. He then made sure Sasuke knew exactly what was expected of him because he was an Uchiha.

So now here they were a family of four with his wife Mikoto, on their way to the academy.

The head of the Uchiha clan was dismayed to find Hyuuga Hiashi talking to the Yondaime when they entered the school grounds. How dare that sneak get there earlier before him and get chummy with the father! He knew Hiashi's daughters were close to the Uzumaki girl. Though not qualified for marriage with the miko, the eldest had the distinct privilege of holding the title 'bestfriend', as Sasuke had informed him. When asked if he was also bestfriends with the girl, his son blushed lightly, looked at his toes and honestly told him they were friends too but Kagome was a girl.

He was to find out from Itachi that Sasuke was bestfriends with Naruto and had a close friendship with the miko. The source of the blush and sudden bout of shyness, Itachi further explained, could be because Sasuke was still on his 'girls had cooties' stage. It was good enough, for now, he guessed. If they could win the favor of the brother and the father, then they would be guaranteed of winning the miko's favor as well.

Fugaku thought having two boys, one spare just in case the other failed, was better than having two daughters before, but Hiashi had turned his disadvantage into an advantage. As a girl, Hiashi's daughter could bond with the miko the way Fugaku's boys couldn't. Cunning bastard!

While Mikoto mingled to talk with the teachers and parents, Fugaku marched over to the Yondaime and joined their conversation.

The Uchiha brothers shared a look of 'there they go again' before finding their friends. They found the twins with Hinata. Hinata was a shy girl but she only stuttered when she was talking to Naruto and she had a habit of holding hands with Kagome. No one could tell if it was for comfort or courage, but it certainly looked like a little puppy protecting another even though Kagome wasn't as shy as Hinata was. They both looked really harmless and were so small you couldn't help but feel the need to protect them.

Naruto was talking to a boy with markings on his face while Kagome and Hinata were playing with a little puppy when Kagome saw them. "Tachi, Sasu!" Her smile lit up the entire academy. "Look, this is Akamaru and he's a nin dog like Kashi's. He can't talk like Pakkun but that's okay because he's still a baby. Kiba-kun owns him. You wanna pet him? He's really nice, he won't bite."

Itachi felt all the stress from yesterday's debacle melt away when he neared Kagome, unaware of the happy healing aura she was releasing because of her elation from petting a puppy. Kagome loved animals in all shapes and sizes, except for spiders. Spiders were one of her greatest fears and were terribly freaked out by them. She loved puppies though. A little ironic in Itachi's opinion, because she looked to him like an innocent little puppy as well.

"This is Sasuke and Itachi," Naruto introduced his old friends with his new one.

Kiba's eyes widened when they landed on Uchiha Itachi. He couldn't believe he would meet the famous Uchiha genius on his first day at the academy. And to think that he was going to be classmates with his little brother! He was already star-struck when the Yondaime himself patted him on the head and asked him to be friends with his children earlier, but this was just too much. There were too many famous people for his young impressionable mind to process.

"Kaasan told me to give these to you," Itachi handed the twins a bento each.

"Yay, thank you!" Kagome hugged his leg and whipped her head around to look for the Uchiha matriarch but there were too many tall people blocking her sight.

"I'll tell her you said thanks," Itachi assured her, fondly giving her a pat on the head. Kagome smiled gratefully and hugged her bento. She loved her dad dearly but all he gave them were instant ramen and some change for lunch today. Naruto could live and thrive on ramen alone, like their father, but Kagome preferred oden. She liked real food compared to the junk her brethren favored.

Kagome was happy her Tachi came today. She was looking forward to seeing Neji at recess later too, but most of all, the best part was going to school to learn to be a ninja like her papa with her friends and brother. Papa even dressed them the same… Naru didn't have a cute skirt like she did though, because Naru's a boy. She couldn't wait to earn that cool head protector her papa had. Naru wanted one too and he also wanted papa's cloak.

Looking around, Kagome found a lot of other boys and girls her age that were potential friends. Hinata was going to be her bestfriend forever and she wasn't looking for a replacement, but the other girls here looked friendly, she was sure they would be fun to play with. A game of tag was always better with more people, and she was tired of losing to everyone but Hinata and Hanabi. She loved Naru, Sasu, Neji, Tachi, Kashi, grandpa Jiraiya, Roku and her papa, but they were always too fast for her to chase. She was no match to any of them and only Hinata and Nabi were the people she could out-speed.

It was frustrating.

Papa gave her and Naru a kiss each when the sensei in charge told the students to gather and form lines. The families of the students had to go home now, their responsibilities done. Papa had to work but he promised to be back to get them after school. Kagome wasn't afraid because Naru was with her, but unconsciously stuck close to him for comfort. Naru huddled closer to her too, and even though Sasuke wanted to join in the pile, he forced himself to maintain the Uchiha Look so as not to disappoint his father. Hinata stared at her feet quietly, her papa told her not to do anything that would cause anyone to look down on their noble clan. She really wanted to hold Kagome's hand though.

The kids weren't the only ones feeling separation anxiety. Arashi-papa had to be literally dragged away by four ANBUs, two grabbed his arms and two grabbed his legs, to get him away from the academy and return him to the Hokage Tower to do his work. Sarutobi, the one who gave the orders to drag the Yondaime away, couldn't really blame the man for worrying but there was work to be done and duties to be fulfilled. The paperwork wasn't going to sign themselves.

Iruka couldn't help but notice the Yondaime's children. They looked like nervous koalas clinging to each other for comfort and trying to look brave at the same time. He was going to be this class' instructor, he introduced himself, and he led them towards what he said where they would learn to be good ninja to protect the village.

"He looks like a dolphin," Naruto whispered to his sister.

A pudgy boy with chinky eyes and swirls on his cheek walking in front of them laughed. "Yeah he does."

"Ssssh!" a blonde girl shushed them, "Iruka-sensei said not to talk. You should keep quiet and listen to him."

Naruto didn't make a good impression on the girl when he stuck his tongue at her.

Kagome was thankful the teacher allowed them to pick their own seats when they reached their classrooms. Their new friend Kiba chose to sit in the middle row of the middle aisle. Kagome didn't notice how the other girls have been ogling Sasuke so she was really surprised when she was pushed out of the way by two stampeding fangirls.

"Hey!" Naruto caught his sister before she fell flat on her face. "Watch where you're going."

Random fangirl number one turned her nose down at him. She was taller than he was even though he was taller than his sister. "Or what?"

"Or I'm going to tell Iruka-sensei that you pushed my sister."

She was unimpressed by his threat. "I'm not afraid of short tattletales."

Kagome frowned at the mean girl. "Naru is not a tattletale."

"Whatever," the girl replied and caught up to her friend. They wanted to sit beside the Uchiha. The clan was well-known all over Konoha and they wanted to be friends with at least one of them. The fan on the boy's back was very attractive and he wasn't bad-looking himself. "Hi! My name is -"

"Leave," Sasuke said. He wasn't interested in knowing the names of the people who were rude to his friends.

"I'm sorry?" Random fangirl number two didn't think she heard right. Why did the Uchiha look so mad? They haven't even introduced themselves yet. Clearing the cobwebs from her head, she tried again. "My name is -"

"I said leave. Right now. I'm not telling you again." Trademark obsidian eyes sent chills down the girls' spines. Sasuke might look like a harmless kitten compared to his father and brother, but that didn't mean he wasn't schooled in the art of intimidation.

"Don't you clean your ears or something? He told you to leave so scram," Naruto shooed them away with both hands.

Sasuke slid on the long bench that was big enough to sit three to four people and allowed Kagome to sit beside him, taking the space next to the aisle. That way, he wouldn't have to deal with a seatmate he didn't want. Naruto allowed Hinata to sit next to Kagome before taking the last spot.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" The school day hasn't even properly started yet Naruto already had at least three girls disliking him. They gave him hateful glares and harrumphed before they left. Throughout the morning lesson, Naruto and Kagome could feel the pinpricks from the proverbial daggers the girls were throwing at their backs.

They weren't able to see Neji during recess, the first years were told by Iruka-sensei to stay inside the classroom. They were allowed to go outside during lunch though, but were advised to stay within the school grounds, preferably within the sight of one of the teachers. When Neji approached, Kagome immediately pounced on him, telling him the story about the two girls in their class who were mean to her and Naru.

Neji listened to her sympathetically and made a mental note of who those girls were while chewing the egg roll that Kagome fed him. Sasuke's face had gone absolutely dark and his aura turned positively menacing. All people within the three mile radius except for Kagome and Naruto, the oblivious twins, were choking from the ill intent coming off of him in waves. If you squinted hard enough, you could almost see the hate radiating off his small body, directed towards Neji. The Hyuuga was expecting the clouds to turn dark while thunder and lightning came down from the heavens to ruin their lunch outside. He wondered why the Uchiha was a little feistier today.

"Sasuke's mama made it for me," Kagome enlightened him later on, "and Naru. It's very delicious, isn't it?"

Neji nodded, smirking at Sasuke.

"You try one too, Hinata." Kagome stole one of the egg rolls off Naruto's bento and fed it to the Hyuuga girl.

"Hey! That's mine!"

"I'll trade you my ramen for it."

It was a no-brainer for the blond. "Okay!" Sasuke's mama was a great cook but ramen was still way better.

"Sasu, you don't like your bento?" Kagome asked when she noticed Sasuke frowning. Why was he in a bad mood? "Does your tummy hurt?" Kagome worried before her aura let loose a strong wave of concerned healing, causing those around her to feel a little fuzzy. Hinata giggled at her rice. Neji shook his head in an attempt to get rid of the buzz. Sasuke also shook his head, a goofy look on his face. Kiba, who had the least experience with Kagome and therefore had the weakest resistance, swayed in his seat, eyes drooping. Even Akamaru wasn't spared – he wagged his tail while he rubbed his body against his master's, acting much like a cat.

Not only that but the students and teachers within the near vicinity were also affected.

"W-what was that?" Iruka asked his fellow sensei. He was sitting two benches away from the little miko and the wave of... comfort? Love? ... caught him by surprise. The Chuunin beside him would probably think it inappropriate if he suddenly hugged him.

Naruto was too happy about his extra ramen to care about how the others were acting. He was used to this kind of thing from his sister.

"Would you like more tomatoes? Here you go, Sasu." Kagome dumped all her lunch box's tomatoes on the Uchiha's. That would make him happy! See? Sasu was already smiling... inside... because she knew that he was trying hard to be like his papa and Tachi, people who only smiled inside and never showed it on the outside.

Sasuke ran out of steam already. His niisan could wipe the smirk out of Neji's face anyway, if he really wanted to, so he still won. The little Uchiha ate his tomatoes meekly.

"Hey..." Kiba said when he finally shook some of the cobwebs from his mind. What the heck was that? "Do you guys know that girl hiding behind the tree? She's starting to freak me out, staring at us so much."

The girl ducked further behind the tree to hide herself when the group turned to look at her. Kagome's eyes widened and she gasped, "Her hair is really pretty."

"She has a big forehead," Kiba stated the obvious.

"I like her hair," Hinata agreed with her bestfriend. She wished she had hair like that but she didn't think candy pink hair would look well with milky white eyes.

"I don't think she likes us very much," Naruto said, not surprised. The only girls who didn't avoid him like a plague were Hinata, Hanabi and his sister. Granny Tsunade didn't count because she was like a million years old and Sasuke's mama didn't count either because she gave him cookies. Not that he cared if girls liked him or not... because he didn't want to be friends with anyone aside from Gome, Hinata and Hanabi either. Miroku would say otherwise but he knew that girls had cooties.

"Aaaw... she ran away," Kagome's face fell. She wanted to befriend the girl with the pink hair. What did she have to do to get hair like that?

Neji had to go back to his class and them to theirs when lunch ended, but no matter how hard she tried Kagome couldn't get the pink-haired girl to talk to her. They were sitting far apart from each other, and the girl avoided her eyes when their gazes met. Iruka-sensei made them copy notes on how to do hand seals afterwards, so Kagome had to concentrate on the blackboard and quit waving at the little girl.

Arashi noticed her drooping shoulders when he came to pick them up in the afternoon and asked about it. Kagome kicked the dirt around with her sandals and told him it was nothing. She noticed that Tachi didn't come to pick up Sasu, so that added to her bad day. She thought she'd see Tachi again... and the pink girl had rushed out of the classroom as soon as class was dismissed too. That, added to the two meanies this morning, didn't make her feel as excited about school as much as she did before anymore. Except for Kiba-kun and Akamaru, no one seemed willing to be her new friend.

"What do you say we stop by Ichiraku's and also get some oden on our way home, huh kids?" Arashi was sure he could cheer her up with oden.

"YAY!" The twins agreed, proving him right; whatever bothered Kagome was instantly forgotten at the mention of oden. After they waved goodbye to their teachers and friends, it didn't take the trio long to head home with their prized oden and ramen.

"Gome, go get the bath ready and Naru, go help me set the table." The kids rushed to perform their tasks, eager to eat their treats. Arashi brought the food to the dining table and just as he finished unpacking, Naruto dashed to get their bowls and chopsticks ready.

A little while later, stomachs full and dishes cleaned, the family sat in their large tub as they bathed together. Since Kagome and Naruto were very young, they have always bathed together. When they became toddlers, Arashi found it easier to bathe _with_ them to keep them from drowning or hitting their heads on the tub rather than to just stand outside the tub while he assisted them. There was absolutely nothing wrong with the family bathing together like they do. The kids have been doing it since they were babies and they were family. It was also common practice in the village; that's what bath houses - separate and shared - were for. There was nothing wrong or malicious in this practice. The family that groomed together stayed together.

In fact, Arashi made sure he could do this everyday, or at least during the weekends if his work prevented him from coming home early, with his children. Bathing time in the Uzumaki household was when he could find out what trouble the twins got themselves into during the day, what pranks they did and who they victimized. There was just something with sitting in hot water naked that encouraged his kids to loosen up, let their guards down and 'fess up.

Kagome played with her pink rubber duckie while Naruto shampooed her hair. When Kagome rinsed the shampoo from her hair and returned the favor, Naruto shot imaginary shuriken at the pink duckie with his yellow rubber duckie.

Arashi helped Naruto rinse his hair off before he asked nonchalantly, "So what happened in school today?"

Naruto told him about their new friend, forgetting that they introduced Kiba to him that morning. He listened attentively to his son but noticed the sadness back in his daughter's profile. "Is something wrong, pumpkin?" He asked gently.

Kagome hesitated for a moment before she told him what the problem was. There were mean people in school and they didn't like Naru and her. Then there was the girl with the pink hair that she wanted to befriend but the girl didn't seem to reciprocate the feelings. Kagome was very frustrated.

"Do we have to go back tomorrow, papa? I don't think I like school anymore." Pink rubber duckie splashed water at Yellow rubber duckie for throwing shurikens at her. Yellow rubber duckie splashed water right back.

"Yes you do," Arashi ignored the warring rubber duckies.

"Can't we just stay at home and study here? Mushin-sama can be our teacher and it'll be more fun if we get Neji, Sasu, Hinata and Naru to learn from him too. Roku is the only one I get to talk to when Mushin-sama comes to teach." Pink rubber duckie was now giving flying kicks (as much as rubber duckies could) to Yellow rubber duckie's head.

"But Mushin-sama could only teach you and Miroku, pumpkin. Even **_I_** can't learn his lessons," he explained, wiping off the water splashed on his eyes as Yellow rubber duckie tried to retaliate.

As they have agreed, the old monk Mushin became Kagome's tutor. Miroku, Mushin's one and only grandson and successor, started lessons when he was three, but Arashi bargained and had Kagome's lessons start at age five. He sat in on the lessons at first and even tried to follow Mushin-sama's instructions, but he just didn't have the spiritual powers that his daughter had. The little miko learned how to manipulate her spiritual power before she learned how to manipulate chakra.

"I'm sure you'll have more fun tomorrow," Arashi coerced. "Right, Naru?"

"Keh," Naruto shrugged. Yellow rubber duckie was losing, nooooo!

"Tell you what. Give it until the end of the week before you decide you like school or not, okay?"

Even pink rubber duckie looked skeptical.

"I'll take you and Naru to Mushin-sama's temple myself on Sunday if you do." It was only going to be their second time out of the village gates. He was still too paranoid to let his babies out of the gates, even if he and two ANBU platoons came with them.

Kagome brushed the wet bangs out of her face. "O_kay_..." she reluctantly agreed. Mushin-sama's temple was pretty; she wished papa would take her and Naru there more. Her gloomy mood disappeared a few seconds later when Yellow rubber duckie was sent flying because Pink rubber duckie sent a mighty kick to his butt. "Ha!"

"NOOOO!" Naruto cried.

ღ

The second day of school was a little bit better for both Naruto and Kagome. The meanies Naruto crossed paths with yesterday kept a wide berth around them. It was almost as if they were avoiding the twins. The pink-haired girl proved to be shyer than Kagome originally thought, but she was slowly coming out of her shell. Sasuke, Kagome learned, proved to be good bait for the girl.

Sasuke was confused at first as to why Kagome would hide behind him while pushing him to walk forward slowly. Dragged everywhere, he felt like one of those carrots Kagome would use to lure bunnies in their backyard. He couldn't help but feel used like a puppet, especially since Kagome would poke him in the back and whisper "Say hi!" or "Smile, Sasu, you have to look friendly!"

Dangling the little Uchiha to lure the little girl in finally paid off by Friday, when the pink-haired girl gathered the courage to come out of her shell just long enough to introduce herself. Her name was Haruno Sakura, she told Kagome in such a cute way that it was all Kagome could do not to glomp her and smother her to pieces. She was shy since the kids in her neighborhood and even their new classmates had begun teasing her about her huge forehead, Kagome found out. The little miko told her she shouldn't worry about it and that everyone teased everyone about something.

Why Sasu liked to call Naru dobe all the time, she shared, and some people would even whisper some things she didn't understand about Naru whenever they thought the twins couldn't hear them. Or take her grandpa Jiraiya, Kagome said, Naru didn't call him grandpa like her; Naru called him Ero Sennin and grandpa Jiraiya liked to call Naru shorty to make fun of his height. Kagome tried hard to convince her new friend Sakura that she shouldn't care if she had a big forehead or not.

Sakura found out that someone named Kashi didn't even mind the stares he got from wearing a face mask all the time. Then there was this guy Roku, who was only several years older than them that Naru and the others liked to call a pervert, and his grandfather whom Naru called 'old bald man'. The pink-haired girl only giggled, not sure if she should believe all these people existed. How could so many people have weirder nicknames than her, the forehead girl? Why shouldn't she care about what the other kids called her?

"And look at Sasu's hair," Kagome added when Sakura didn't look convinced, "it looks like a duck but he doesn't care what people think about him."

Sasuke unconsciously patted his hair and checked it out in the mirror. _I didn't know my hair looks like a duck_?

That seemed to do the trick though, because Sakura loosened enough to allow Kagome to introduce her to her other friends. Hinata was probably just as shy as she was but she was very friendly for a Hyuuga. Sasuke was still wondering about his duck hair so he only gave a noncommittal grunt in reply when Sakura was introduced to him. Naruto shook her hand enthusiastically and asked if she liked ramen. Kiba waved a greeting and Akamaru barked hello. Sakura was amazed at how these kids from famous clans didn't seem to mind a girl with a big forehead like hers hanging out with them, so she relaxed. She felt so warm and at ease in the group, especially when she was around her new friend. School was enjoyable for Kagome again.

Later in the week, as her father promised, they went to visit Mushin and Miroku.

ღ

The tenth day of October had always been a special day in Konoha's history. A lot of its citizens commemorated their loved ones' death on this day, all of the surviving ones remembered the heroism their fourth generation Hokage showed, and in the humble Uzumaki household, this day was the day when they celebrated the twins' birthdays.

"Naru, have you seen your sister?" Arashi looked around the Uzumaki backyard but had no luck in spotting his daughter. Where had she run off to? They were about to sing the birthday song and he needed both twins to blow out the candles.

The birthday boy paused his game of tag with the other children and nodded his head. "Gome said she'll be back later."

Cerulean eyes looked at exact replicas expectantly. The smaller pair blinked cutely. "Did she say where she was going?" Arashi asked when his son didn't say anything else.

Naruto shook his head.

Arashi sighed. Where was she? He patted his son's head and allowed him to return to his game. "Hey Kakashi, have you seen Kagome?" He asked the silver-haired ninja who was trying to blend into a tree.

Kakashi cursed under his breath; his former sensei's question gave his location away. "No Yondaime-sama, I haven't seen Kagome anywhere." He felt a sense of impending doom and found the reason why when he saw Gai now walking towards him. Damn!

Small fingers tugged on his clothes. "Yondaime-sama, Kagome said to tell you she had to meet a friend and will be back as soon as she can. Itachi-san followed her to make sure she was safe," Neji informed him.

Arashi's brows wrinkled in confusion. Didn't they invite all of Kagome's friends in the village and even Miroku, who lived in a temple outside the village already? Everyone was here, even their new classmates at the academy, so who could be missing from the guest list? "Did she say who it was she was going to meet, Neji-kun?"

Neji's pretty hair swayed when he shook his head in a negative. "No, that's why Itachi-san followed her discreetly."

The thought of his daughter going off with a friend he didn't know about bothered him greatly. The panic he should have felt wasn't there because Itachi was with her. "Did you see which direction they went?"

Neji pointed to a line of trees that concealed a hidden path leading to a small stream behind the house. He thanked the boy before taking off in that direction. At times like these he debated with himself regarding the merits of placing a permanent collar or a tracking beacon on his children. They were too fond of going off to god-knew-where and caused him to panic for nothing a lot.

It didn't take him long to spot his daughter sitting near the stream, a basket of apples beside her. She was humming and using a stick to draw lines on the ground. He was about to call out to her but a hand on his shoulder surprised him. Itachi was sitting on the same branch of the tree he was currently perched upon. How had he gotten there without him noticing? It was a little unnerving, considering he was Hokage and was supposed to be on his guard all the time. He blamed it on his divided attention and the sense of safety he felt because he was on his own backyard.

"Wha-"

The teenager held a finger to his lips, motioning for silence, and tilted his head towards the child on the ground. From their vantage point on top of the tree they could see everything clearly.

Humoring the Uchiha, he watched and listened. What did Itachi want to show him? A soft breeze blew past them when Kagome perked up and spoke.

"There you are! I've been waiting for you!" The birthday girl pointed an accusing finger at the thin air. "You said to meet you here with your presents but you were late. I don't understand why you've turned shy suddenly when you've just made yourself at home before."

Itachi and Arashi shared a confused look on top of their branch. Who was she talking to? None of them could see anyone or sense any chakra within the vicinity. All the guests and people were all at the birthday party in the backyard from where they came from.

Kagome huffed, continuing what seemed like a conversation between her and herself. "I got new friends from the academy and they all brought their parents that's why it's more crowded than last year. They're really nice people, you don't need to be shy."

Arashi could feel the first signs of panic creeping on his chest. His daughter wasn't insane, was she?

"Hm, I guess…" Kagome said thoughtfully, "I wish they could come and meet you though, especially my brother." There was a pause before she giggled. "Silly, papa's not going to be scared of you! You said so yourself that whatever happened between you two happened a long time ago. I'm sure he'll be glad to be your friend now. Papa is really cool and the nicest papa in the whole wide world. He's the bestest papa ever."

Arashi basked in the warm fuzzy feelings his daughter's compliments gave him. Itachi activated his sharingan beside him but still couldn't see who or what Kagome was talking to.

"Oh!" Kagome gasped, putting the Hokage and ANBU squad captain on their guards. "I'm sorry, here, I totally forgot about these. Papa bought these this morning so they're really fresh. Thank you for coming today, are you sure you want these instead of cake?"

Kagome picked up one of the apples in the basket and held it up in the air. It was weird but since neither ninja felt any danger in the immediate vicinity, they decided to sit back and watch. Just imagine the surprise Arashi and Itachi felt when a piece of the apple was bitten off.

The Hokage picked up his daughter in a flash, causing her to drop the basket on the ground, kunai drawn. Itachi also had the same idea; he had his own weapons drawn and was assuming a fighting stance back to back with his Hokage, red eyes activated darting to find the invisible threat. Sharp senses strained to hear, see, smell or feel _anything_ before they could make their move.

Kagome's blue eyes were wide, apple still in hand. "Papa, what are you doing?"

"Hush pumpkin, let papa take care of it," Arashi whispered urgently, preparing to do his body flicker technique as soon as he figured out where the attack was going to come from. His plan was to grab Itachi with them and flicker to the birthday party to warn the guests.

Kagome frowned at her papa. He was acting weird and Tachi too. "Stop it papa, you're upsetting Ryuk."

"Ryuk?" Itachi dared not to let his guard down even when he asked the question.

"My friend," Kagome replied without a care in the world, unaware of the tense fighting auras of her papa and Itachi. She thought about doing those calming aura release exercises she did with Mushin-sama but decided not to since it made Ryuk act loopy when she did it. She looked around her papa to talk to Itachi. "He says that your sharingan wouldn't help you see him even if you have the" she paused and frowned, "man – mang – manek - mangey – _mangekyou_," Kagome pronounced slowly.

"Mangekyou?" Arashi and Itachi asked at the same time.

Itachi was thunderstruck at how Kagome and her friend even knew that word. He only found out about it more or less a year ago, just as Sasuke entered the academy. After completing several ANBU missions with flying colors, his father and the clan higher ups pulled him aside to talk about the clan. He was instructed to go to the Nakano Shrine's Main Temple, on the far right side. Under the seventh mat was the clan's secret meeting place and what looked to him like a shrine for tengu. He wasn't aware his clan worshipped humanoids with bird-like features but he didn't have long to ponder over it because the clan started the meeting. He was told that only the trusted members and those who have shown potential were allowed to enter this elite circle of Uchihas.

He was later given a scroll to read about their clan's origins and about the awesome power that was the Mangekyou Sharingan. The information on the scroll was both thrilling and dangerous. In order to obtain Mangekyou Sharingan, a sharingan-using Uchiha had to kill their closest friend and only one Uchiha has ever achieved that so far, according to the scroll. Itachi secretly contemplated killing Shisui for a brief millisecond to obtain such power and follow in the steps of Uchiha Madara, but the image of a little girl with bright blue eyes and a smile that warmed his heart popped into his head. Shisui should thank his lucky stars Kagome was fond of him.

"He says to let him eat his apples in peace and he'll teach me how to help you activate it without -" Kagome gasped and glared at the thin air behind her, "That's not nice to say, Ryuk." She crossed her arms in disapproval and refused to repeat what he said. She liked Shisui-niichan. He was funny and he gave her and Naru candy.

Itachi correctly guessed that she found out about the bestfriend requirement and he frowned at how the unseen person knew of the advanced form of his clan's sharingan, wondering just how much he knew and how much information this friend could share. Was he an Uchiha? If the invisible person knew how to bypass the kill-your-bestfriend part, he was willing to participate in it.

When Itachi and Arashi still didn't relax, Kagome sighed. "Papa, Ryuk's not going to hurt me, you, Itachi or anyone who doesn't have to go yet. If you still don't trust him, you know you could trust me, right?"

"Go where?" Arashi asked and made the mistake of looking into his daughter's eyes. He was powerless against her puppy dog eyes no jutsu. Reluctantly relenting, he dropped his fighting stance but kept his weapon unsheathed just in case.

Itachi thought he was crazy but had no choice but to follow his Hokage. If Kagome's friend wanted to be left alone while he ate apples in exchange for information on the Mangekyou, he was willing to humor him.

"Who is Ryuk, pumpkin?" Arashi refused to let Kagome go even when he wasn't preparing for a fight anymore. "And where is he?"

"He's right there," she pointed to the air in front of Itachi, making the teenager jump a little. You would too if you were one of the (or probably _the most_) top ANBU in your village and couldn't even sense your enemy even when he was standing right in front of you. "You remember him, don't you papa? Ryuk says you met him years ago during my and Naru's birthday."

Arashi tried hard but couldn't recall any of his friends or acquaintances having the power of invisibility. At least none that he knew of and none of his friends were even named Ryuk for that matter.

Pink lips formed into a thoughtful pout. "He says you made a deal with him," the innocent child relayed what her friend said to her father. "He says I was there too but I really don't remember since he says I was only a baby."

Arashi's complexion quickly turned to a deathly shade of ghost white. He had to make sure... "T-tell me, pumpkin, just what _is_ your friend and why is he here?"

"He's a shinigami and he's here to wish me a happy birthday," Kagome answered, squirming from his tight grip, unaware of her father's cold sweat and Itachi's incredulity. "He'd wish Naru a happy birthday too but Naru can't see him." Kagome was sad. Ryuk was really fun to be with and she was sure that he and her brother would get along nicely if they met face to face. It was a pity that she was the only one who could see and talk to Ryuk. She tried to introduce him to Hinata once, but not even her bestfriend's byakugan could make her see him.

"Are shinigamis real?" An unbelieving Itachi couldn't help but ask.

Arashi nodded his head, "More than you'll ever believe, Itachi-kun." And to think that he was very familiar with this one... "Are you sure he's the _exact_ shinigami, baby?" He bounced Kagome on his hip like she was a three year old out of nervousness. He wasn't trained to handle these types of situations. Was he going to die?

"Yup."

"Is he here to reap my soul?" He had to know. Eight years was a long time for someone who should be dead by now but he didn't want to keel over anytime soon.

Kagome giggled. "You're so silly papa. I already told you Ryuk's here for my birthday. He comes more than once a year when he has to fetch someone from or near the village and he makes sure to greet me a happy birthday each year. He says he's been doing it since I didn't even know who he was and he loves apples so I feed them to him."

Itachi was still skeptical. "Why is he invisible? How can we see him? Can you ask him to show himself?" If gods of death were real and they weren't here to escort his soul to the afterlife, he wanted to meet one.

Kagome was quiet for a long moment, listening to what her invisible friend was telling her. "He says that ordinary humans cannot see him and intentionally interacting with humans is prohibited under normal circumstances. He says he won't get into trouble with talking to me because we didn't do anything to break the rules and I could see the others too so it's normal. He says that you can see him if you wanted, without him getting into trouble, but you have to give him your soul for it." After she repeated what Ryuk said, she turned back to the invisible being with a frown on her face. "Don't take my papa's or Itachi's soul, Ryuk. I won't give you apples anymore if you do that."

Itachi knew for some reason that Kagome wasn't lying but this was just so out of the ordinary and nothing he was familiar with. Kagome never lied to him and the Yondaime was sweating bullets so he was forced to believe it was true. This was just so bizarre though, no matter how you looked at it. All the other sane people couldn't fault him for his disbelief.

Arashi didn't feel comforted in knowing that all that was standing from the grim reaper and his soul were apples. Kagome brought a whole basket with her but were they enough? He would buy the reaper a whole truck load of apples if it meant sparing his life. He was dying to know what happened all those years ago but didn't mean to do anything to offend this 'Ryuk'.

"Here you go Ryuk," Kagome held the apple she was still holding up and the shinobis watched as it was devoured in mid air. "Yes, all those are yours too." Kagome continued talking to him. "You should save some to give to Rem-san and the others you know. Shidoh prefers chocolates but Jealous told me he likes apples too. You should be kinder to him."

Arashi didn't really want to ask but he had to know. "Who are Rem-san, Shidoh and Jealous?"

"They're my friends like Ryuk. They come here sometimes when they have to get someone and they're really nice." Itachi and Arashi now knew 'get' and 'fetch' were Kagome-code for someone dying and the grim reaper reaping their souls.

"I see." No, he didn't see at all but he could only imagine his daughter friendly chatting with shinigami who could take human souls and it was very disturbing to him as a father.

"Ryuk says that papa shouldn't worry about him or the others eating or taking my soul when they come and talk to me because that won't happen until after a long, long, long, long time," Kagome suddenly said, startling Arashi. Could shinigamis read minds? "You and Naruto and Itachi and Kashi and Hinata and Neji and Hana-chan too!"

"Uh… thanks… I think," he told the air. "Can shinigamis read minds?" Arashi felt safe enough to ask.

"Ryuk says no but he says you looked like you were worried he would eat my soul for lunch," Kagome giggled. "He's just here for the apples."

Arashi breathed a little easier, resigned to the fact that he was powerless against the god of death. He planned to ask Mushin-sama later if there was anything that could help him to deal with grim reapers but he doubted even his best jutsu could save him if the reaper really wanted to do them any harm right now. He had to trust in his daughter's trust in the repear. Itachi seemed to be thinking on the same lines as he was because they both sheathed their weapons at the same time.

They stayed near the stream a few minutes more, watching the apples disappear into thin air and listening to Kagome talk to her friend. Arashi and Itachi watched silently as the unseen Ryuk told Kagome about how to help Itachi make this so-called mangekyou work, but all they heard was one-side talking to the invisible other. After that, the two Konoha shinobi had questions of their own (How old was he? Why does he love apples? How often do you visit Konoha?) And Kagome acted as a bridge for them. Curiosity finally got the better of him and Arashi asked if he could explain what happened all those years ago, but the shinigami's answer was vague.

"Ryuk says he's not allowed to talk to ordinary humans about it and you wouldn't understand it if he explained it to you anyway," Kagome relayed to him. She defended her papa to Ryuk of course, telling him that her papa was smart and would understand anything, but Arashi said it was okay. If Ryuk didn't want to talk about it then he wouldn't ask about it anymore. He was just thankful, he said, and left Itachi to wonder how his Hokage met the shinigami before and what exactly happened.

When the invisible Ryuk finally finished all his treats, he bid them farewell and promised to visit again. Kagome was happy about it but Arashi and Itachi weren't really looking forward to it. Their strong male ninja egos have taken a fair beating, considering that an eight year old child wasn't even the least bit freaked out by her unusual friend's visit, and they'd rather not get visits from grim reapers at all.

No one sane, sober and attached to their souls would.

The promise of cake and ice cream delighted Kagome and pushed her to seek out Naruto when they returned to the party telling him excitedly that "Papa says we could open the presents after we blow out the candles!"

Naruto was just as excited with his presents as Kagome was, so they all sang the twins a happy birthday while Arashi pulled Itachi to the side and made him promise not to breathe a word about what happened at the stream earlier. Itachi nodded to the Hokage, taking his request as an order.

And then it was time for opening presents.

Gai observed from spying on Kakashi what their preferences were, so he was extremely proud of his gifts for the children: a green spandex suit with a specialized dog logo for Kagome and another green spandex suit with a specialized fox logo for Naruto. People bit their tongues and the insides of their cheeks to prevent laughter, and when that wasn't enough they coughed into their hands to cover it up.

'Grandpa' Jiraiya gave Kagome a huge white stuffed dog and Naruto received a framed autograph paper with his signature on it. When the blond birthday boy asked 'Ero Sennin' what he should do about the autograph, the old man told him to take good care of it because it was a collector's item seeing as how he was a famous celebrity author now. Naruto snorted at him disrespectfully.

Miroku and Mushin gave Kagome ofudas and scrolls to study. Naruto received protection charms. Gifts from the twins' new classmates consisted mostly of toys, clothes and ninja gear. Both got a lot of different toys and clothes. Ninja gear, typical and special, were also a popular gift. It was only normal that the twins got a lot of matching sets, one for a boy and the other for a girl, but where their toys and clothes differed were the patterns. Naruto held great fondness for foxes while Kagome was more partial to dogs. The cute shirts that Kagome received had doggie drawings on them while Naruto had foxes; the pajama set that Konohamaru gave Kagome was pink with dog patterns while Naruto's was orange with fox patterns. Kakashi gave them nightcaps to match.

Neji's gift to Kagome was a sturdy backpack in the shape of a dog. She loved it. Naruto also received a backpack. It wasn't girly cute like Kagome's, but it had fox patterns on it, of course.

Tsunade was travelling the countryside in search for new medical jutsus and wasn't able to come home in time (she hasn't gone back to Konoha for years), but she did send the twins special packages. She kept in constant touch with Arashi's family, but going back to live in the village that had taken so much from her just wasn't in her list of priorities. She would stop by the vicinity once in a while, check on the kids' health, Naruto's seal and have a drink with Mushin at his temple, but that was it. Kagome received a bunch of medical scrolls from her and Naruto gained possession of coupons to Ichiraku's.

Out of all the gifts, the twins probably loved Hinata's the most. Naruto received a whole box of instant ramen while Kagome got a charm bracelet that had two charms in it: one Uzumaki clan symbol and one Hyuuga clan emblem. It was unheard of for anyone else to bear another's clan design on their person, however inconspicuous it might be, but the Hyuuga heiress obtained special permission from her father.

No, that wasn't exactly the truth. The truth was that the Uzumaki emblem was Hinata's idea and the Hyuuga clan symbol was Hiashi's. He gave Hinata the suggestion of doing both clan symbols under the pretense of a sign of their friendship which was a perfect cover. His daughter's idea had been genius, and he didn't pass the opportunity to rub it in Fugaku's face that the miko was wearing the Hyuuga symbol on her arm.

The imaginary scoreboard that kept track of Fugaku and Hiashi's scores chalked one up to Hiashi's corner. Hiashi gloated some more when Naruto proclaimed his love for Hinata over and over because she gave him the best gift ever. Fugaku wished Hiashi's gloating face would crack when even Arashi commented how great a gift it was and how he was thinking of adding a charm of his own to his daughter's bracelet. Hiashi offered to introduce him to the jeweler he commissioned for the job and scored more ramen points with the pleased father.

The party was a big hit with the children. The cake was delicious. Arashi got help with some of the female Chuunins at work deciding on what party games to play and food to serve aside from ramen and oden. Ichiraku's shop closed down to cater to Naruto's whim. People craving for oden also had to do without the oden shop in Konoha that day because they were closed to cater to Kagome's whim. Oden was to Kagome as ramen was to Naruto.

Itachi thought that Arashi might already have forgotten about what the shinigami promised the Uchiha in exchange for eating his apples in peace earlier, but Arashi certainly didn't. The Yondaime would've chalked it up to the weirdness of the shinigami but quickly revised his opinion when Itachi requested to see Kagome alone about what was said earlier. When Arashi asked why, Itachi hesitated to tell him, unwilling to let Arashi tell anyone else. After he made the Yondaime promise on his children and his honor as a Hokage, the Uchiha prodigy told him the censured version of the truth.

The eldest son of Fugaku was certain that even the Hokage didn't know the inner dealings and secrets of each clan in Konoha, so he told the Hokage that it had to do something with the next level of sharingan and he wasn't allowed to reveal anything more than he already had to someone who wasn't part of the clan. Arashi understood this well enough and respected their privacy, but he insisted on being there when Itachi talked to Kagome or they wouldn't do it at all, regardless of what was promised by whom.

Itachi wanted to keep his clan secrets and Arashi wasn't going to force them out of him, but he wasn't going to just abandon his daughter to the unknown either. What would an eight year old child know about the secrets of one of the oldest clans in Konoha and what would happen if the clan elders found out she knew? Itachi knew his father wanted to assimilate Kagome into their clan but he couldn't anticipate what his father would do if he found out Kagome knew about their secrets or how to unlock them.

It was a hard choice but in the end Arashi won. The bottom line was that Itachi wanted to know what Kagome knew and if she could really help him, and Arashi wasn't going to force any information out of him or blab it to others. Arashi even promised to make Kagome swear that whatever her friend Ryuk told her should remain a secret between just the three of them. It was a win-win situation for everyone that way. None of the other Uchihas would know about Kagome's involvement in their clan's secrets and Kagome wouldn't tell a soul about it because she promised Itachi and her father.

Jiraiya thought it was odd when Arashi left Naruto in his care but didn't question it. He figured he was going to have a talk with Fugaku's eldest regarding an engagement with his daughter when the three of them went to Arashi's room. What other reason could it be aside from that? The sannin felt a little sad; if Arashi was arranging an engagement with Itachi, then he would miss seeing the competition between Fugaku and Hiashi. He'd already won more than his fair share of bets from it with Kakashi and was looking forward to more betting in the future.

If Jiraiya only knew...

After making Kagome understand that she couldn't tell anyone about it, not even Naru, her father said, the three of them started. Kagome remembered the earlier promise, saying that Ryuk gave the answers to questions she's had since she could remember.

Since she was a baby, Kagome had always been fascinated by the intricacies of the Sharingan and Byakugan. She told her papa and Itachi that it was because they looked the same. Itachi and Arashi couldn't see how they looked the same but Arashi explained that Kagome could _see _things that ordinary people couldn't. Itachi accepted this, knowing all along that there was something special about the girl.

The eight year old tried to explain it as much as she could, using words and terms she learned from school and Mushin-sama to make it understandable. However knowledgeable she was though, she was still just a kid. She used really common analogies but they managed.

The Byakugan, she said, was like a blue-colored circle. Compared to that, the Sharingan was purple-colored because someone probably added the red to it. Kagome was surprised to find out that the Sharingan originated from the Byakugan. Arashi had to explain what 'originated' meant and Kagome nodded in understanding when he said that the Byakugan was like the Sharingan's mother.

"That's why they look the same," she replied and nodded, looking as if she solved one of the mysteries of the world.

Further more, Kagome added, the Sharingan had a 'secret treasure' inside its circle. Some sharingan users like Itachi's papa and Shisui, she continued, had really tight locks on their treasure boxes. The lock could only be opened by the person himself and no one could help him. She could see how strong or weak the locks were, telling them that she liked to check up on it regularly. Uchihas like Teyaki (brother of Fugaku) and Uruchi (wife of Teyaki), the shopkeepers of the Uchiha sweet rice crackers shop, didn't have any treasure boxes. Itachi and Arashi noted that they didn't have the sharingan.

"Is that why you like to look at Hinata's, Neji's, Hanabi's, Sasuke's, Kakashi's and Itachi's eyes?" Arashi asked and his daughter nodded.

She liked to compare, she told him, like a race of who was going to get the treasure first. Only a child could make such comparisons.

"Tachi's was the fastest to loosen the padlock, but Kashi's was already unclasped a long time ago. I don't think he knows he has to take off the lock before he could get the treasure."

Itachi was surprised to know that Kakashi, not a natural sharingan user, could be so close to obtaining mangekyou. He heard that Uchiha Obito, Kakashi's teammate, had given him the sharingan eye before his death. Ah, now it made sense. Obito was probably Kakashi's bestfriend and seeing Obito die released this 'lock' on the mangekyou that Kagome was talking about. The clan scrolls called it 'requirement'.

"Kakashi might need to train more to make up for not being a natural-born Uchiha," Arashi speculated. "His stamina and body's abilities need to catch up to his eye."

Kagome shrugged. All she knew was that Itachi's lock was also loose and it only had to be taken off.

"How could I do that?" Without killing Shisui, he silently added, not willing to let the Yondaime know.

"Ryuk told me I could take it off for you and told me how to," Kagome quietly replied. She was content to just observe the weakening of those locks before because she was afraid to tamper with them.

Itachi could feel the adrenaline increase.

"Will it hurt?" Arashi asked.

Kagome shook her head.

"Is it safe?"

Kagome nodded.

"Let's do it," Itachi decided.

Arashi knew he had no right to forbid the boy from what he wanted and the glint in Kagome's eyes was also unmistakable. They were going to do it whether he said yes or no. He nodded, not trusting himself to speak. Blue eyes watched carefully as Kagome got into the normal position she made whenever she practiced her favorite hobby of 'look into the sharingan'. Arashi sent a silent prayer of thanks that Kagome was still young because no father in his right would allow his grown daughter to climb on a man's lap and straddle him while looking into his eyes intently.

Itachi didn't even tense or bat an eyelash when Kagome's hands moved. One gripped the back of his head to hold it in place and the other glowed ethereal pink. It was always a sight to behold since the color in itself was unusual. "Don't close your eyes 'kay, Tachi?"

Itachi would have nodded but Kagome was holding his head so he grunted instead.

Arashi stepped a little closer to the pair when his daughter started drawing patterns on Itachi's face with her glowing fingers.

After a few seconds, Kagome stopped and frowned.

"Is something wrong?" Arashi asked.

"Yeah, Tachi lay back so I can use both hands."

Arashi waved his hand to go on when Itachi looked at him for permission. Itachi shifted on the couch inside the Hokage's room a little and then rested his head on the headrest, putting all his trust in Kagome. When he was done, Kagome didn't give him any warning when she seized his right eyelid and started drawing patterns again. For a little girl half his size, her grip on his eye was strong, preventing him from blinking.

Seconds ticked into minutes and when she was done, she did the same thing to the left one. Sweat gathered on her furrowed brow and Arashi could tell Kagome was exerting herself. He couldn't even begin to fathom what amount of chakra or power she was using to do this.

Itachi would've widened both his eyes if Kagome wasn't holding his left hostage, for he could feel the right changing and he wished he had a mirror to see what it looked like. The little girl on his lap seemed to have read his mind because after caring for the left just as much as she did for the right, Kagome asked her father to let Itachi borrow a mirror before slumping against Itachi's chest in exhaustion. Using her pink chakra instead of her normal chakra always tired her, but she would gladly do it again for her Tachi.

Arashi lifted Kagome off Itachi and handed him a mirror.

"Is she okay?" Itachi's concern overrode his curiosity. Kagome was asleep and breathing evenly, he mildly brushed the stray ebony locks that made their way to her angelic face.

"She's fine; she gets like this when she exhausts her chakra." What did Jiraiya-sensei say? Oh, right. 'It runs in the family'. Naruto had the habit of training until he dropped from exhaustion. "She just needs a good night's sleep and -" Arashi gasped, noticing the change in Itachi's eyes when he looked into them. "Itachi-kun... you... your eyes... they're..."

Itachi held the mirror up to find that the three dots that should have been in each of his eyes were now merged into one big wheel.

"Is that...?"

"The Mangekyou Sharingan," Itachi's voice was filled with just as much awe as the Hokage's. "She did it. I can't believe..." For the first time in his life, the new Mangekyou Sharingan user was speechless.

"Itachi-kun?"

There was no response. The boy was still admiring his eyes in the mirror, touching his hands to his face in disbelief.

Arashi cleared his throat. He shifted Kagome in his arms and laid her down on the bed, making sure to tuck her carefully in.

Itachi was still staring at the mirror when he finished.

The Hokage waited some more. The only sounds in the room were Kagome's even breathing and the ticking of the clock. He hummed a soft tune while running his fingers through his daughter's hair. The little girl snuggled deeper in the pillow.

Suddenly, Naruto burst through the door (Arashi could never teach him how to knock) and almost crashed into the statue in the middle. "What's wrong with Itachi?" Naruto poked the unmoving Uchiha curiously.

Itachi made sure his eyes were back to normal before he moved. "Nothing, Naruto-kun."

"Are you fit to go home by yourself, Itachi-kun?"

"Hai, Yondaime-sama. I..." he looked at the small girl in the middle of the Hokage's bed.

"We can talk more about it tomorrow, ne? I think Gome-chan's had enough excitement for today."

Naruto gently climbed next to his sister and got under the covers, kissed her forehead and went to sleep cuddled beside her.

"You can thank her tomorrow," Arashi added.

Itachi bowed gratefully to his Hokage. This gratitude thing was new to him.

The full moon was shining brightly in the night sky when Itachi finally made his way home with a definite bounce on his step. He felt like he finally had a purpose and had the power to reach his goals.

"Did you have fun, Itachi?"

Itachi turned to where the voice and chakra were. "It was enjoyable," he allowed. Oh, if he only knew. "Where were you, Shisui? Kagome was looking for you."

Shusui stepped out of the shadows, chuckling. "Ah yes, itty bitty ickle Koneko-chan. She's cute, isn't she? Such a bundle of joy and sunshine, that girl is." He smiled widely. "I was on a mission, I'm sorry I missed Kagome-chan's birthday. I'll give her a belated birthday present soon."

Shisui, in Itachi's opinion, was a little unstable. The guy liked to laugh too much, for no apparent reason, and it wasn't the kind of laugh his little brother or his friends did when they were little and they found something amusing either. No, Shisui's laugh was almost cynical at times, but Itachi couldn't be a good judge for that since he rarely or never even laughed at all. He smiled and chuckled in the presence of his brother and Kagome sometimes but that was it.

Itachi shrugged when Shisui looked at him for a response.

"She's special, isn't she?"

Itachi shrugged again but grunted in agreement. Of course she was special! It probably blow Shisui's mind if Itachi told him what happened tonight.

"I still remember years ago when she cleaned that curse seal from that Hyuuga Branch boy's forehead..."

"Neji."

"Ah yes, he's a friend of your brother's isn't he?"

"Hmmm..." He doubted Sasuke would claim Neji as one of his friends. They addressed each other by 'Uchiha' and 'Hyuuga', and acted much like Fugaku and Hiashi did when they were in the presence of the other. Sasuke often needed assurance that he could beat up Neji if he really wanted to, for some reason.

"Someday I'm going to find out what she did for sure," Shisui told him.

"Hn." Good luck with that.

"We never hang out like we used to anymore. You keep getting assigned all the good missions and the ones you do reject are passed on to me. We should ask for the same assignment one of these days."

"Mhm," Itachi replied as they stepped foot inside the Uchiha compound. Had the full moon looked this interesting before or was it just him?

"You never know when we never get back from those dangerous missions and all..."

Itachi could see his house already. "Surely you have more skills than that, Shisui."

Shisui laughed. "Thanks for the vote of confidence, pal." They paused on the threshold of Itachi's house. "You've changed," Shisui said.

Itachi blinked. "I have?"

"Yeah, you're different somehow. You used to be like me... and now you aren't."

"I don't understand." He never considered himself similar to Shisui other than sharing the same clan.

Shisui smiled something suspicious that didn't reach his eyes. "Well, this is goodbye for now, I wouldn't want to keep you up tonight from an important mission tomorrow."

"See you, Shisui."

Shisui looked back when the door behind Itachi closed. He stood in the middle of the street for several minutes, unmoving and silent.

"Goodbye, Itachi."

Naruto slept peacefully, cuddled next to Kagome and Arashi that evening.

Itachi stayed up most of the night staring at his newly acquired Mangekyou. His father was going to freak. Out. It would be best if he never found out how exactly he got this. How was he going to explain this to his clan without involving Kagome? He couldn't wait to try it out in action. Too bad he didn't have any missions for the next few days. Where could he practice the techniques he read about in that scroll last year?

The next morning, the body of Uchiha Shisui was found floating face down on the Konoha river. The Konoha Military Police, mostly under the control of members of the Uchiha family, ruled the death as drowning. The cause: suicide.

_I'm tired of the duties...  
there is no future for the Uchiha...  
and for me...  
I cannot walk out the "path" any further..._

ღ

**_Notes and Disclaimer:_** Sorry for grammar and spellings errors. English was not my first language (and that's all I'm willing to share to strangers on the internet) but I think I've improved since. If you're really that appalled by my grammar/tenses, suck it up and just be thankful I can spell... mostly. :P

Thank you very much for the reviews last chapter. Cookies for all of you and Naruto plushies to Falling Right Side Up for suggesting a Kagome Harem. ♥

I'd like to give my apologies to Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata for references in this chapter. This is **_not_** and never going to be a Death Note crossover, I just wanted to name that shinigami in Naruto and "L, do you know shinigami loves apples" inspired me. The shinigami in Naruto definitely doesn't need a Death Note to kill and I just wanted to play with that angle, do a shout out to my favorite series.

**_Omake:_** ALT + 3 on your keyboard equals ♥

HAPPY NEW YEAR!


	4. What myths and legends are made of

 **Chapter Four: What myths and legends are made of.**  
January 5, 2007

"Niisan, does my hair look like a duck?"

Was that a trick question? "Who said your hair looked like a duck?" The motions of wrapping bandages around his legs were continued, eyes closely observing his brother's hair like he's never looked at it before. Hmmm... If you looked at it in an angle...

Refusing to look at his niisan, Sasuke grabbed his bag. "Nobody," he mumbled. "Does it?"

"No?"

Satisfied, Sasuke finished putting his sandals on before walking out the door. "I'm off, Kaasan!"

"Take care, Sasuke." Mikoto replied from the kitchen.

"Itachi, do you want a bento?"

"No thank you, Kaasan. I'm having lunch with a friend today." With the rubber band on his hair in place, he too was ready to go. "Ittekimasu!"

"Itterasshai!" Mikoto bade him farewell.

He closed the door behind him before took a breath and took to the roofs. Privacy was ensured today if he practiced in his usual training spot. Aside from him, only a few other little munchkins knew which training ground he frequented and they all had school today. Killing a few hours to train before he had to go to the meeting was a splendid idea, and he planned to train his newly acquired next level sharingan this morning.

Activating the Mangekyou was easy enough, but practicing the high level techniques that came with it was another thing. Yes, it was imbedded in his instincts, like how to use the sharingan once a life-threatening incident awakened it, but using the Mangekyou required a large amount of his chakra. Reading about the techniques in the scroll was also entirely different from testing it out in person. The clan scrolls didn't exactly detail the techniques step by step, but he was good at improvising and he was a quick learner. All geniuses like him were.

The hours quickly passed by as the sun made its way to the middle of the sky. It took him an estimate of two hours to execute his first Amaterasu and he had to hold off practicing the genjutsu he read about because he had no one to test it on except for the bunny he caught. A drooling and twitching bunny was a good sign, but he could only take it so far to an extent, but he couldn't really say if it was going to be successful in real battle or not. The third technique was a little tricky and his chakra reserves were running low by now. Also, several severely burnt acres of foliage courtesy of Amaterasu later, it was time for him to go.

After taking a short breather, he took off for the Hokage tower. Maybe the Yondaime would be willing to help him test out his newly acquired abilities...

"Uchiha Itachi?"

Three members of the Konoha Military Police Force blocked his path. "Yes?"

"We would like to know where you were yesterday and what exactly you were doing," Uchiha Inabi, age twenty-five, was wearing the same high-collared shirt with the Uchiha fan on the back just like he was. His grumpy expression was matched by his partners, who were also Uchihas and members of the police force. They looked unhappy and they didn't look too friendly at the moment.

"I attended a birthday party and then came straight home afterwards."

Uchiha Yashiro, the eldest of the three at age forty-five, stepped forward. "If you don't mind, we would like to take you to the police station for some questioning."

Itachi frowned. "What is this about? I have an important meeting to get to right now and I don't want to be late."

Uchiha Tekka, was not only the youngest at age twenty-one, he also had the shortest temper. "Look buddy, you either come with us peacefully or we drag you there, it doesn't really matter. Frankly I prefer the latter to the former," his grin didn't reach his eyes. He didn't like Itachi. He was supposed to be the clan's prodigy, a genius among the elite. Personally he thought the guy was too cocky for his own good. He wouldn't mind taking him down a notch or two.

"You are welcome to try," Itachi answered impassively. He didn't like getting into senseless fights but weaklings who overestimated their abilities often tried to prove themselves by going after him. Did they honestly think they could win against him?

Itachi prepared himself when two out of the three policemen's stances became aggressive.

"Wait," Yashiro lifted his arm to stop his comrades. He looked Itachi in the eye. "It is true that Uchiha Shisui is your bestfriend?"

Itachi shrugged. If you ask Shisui, yes. "You can say we are close."

"He was found dead this morning, drowned in the river."

The surprise Itachi felt did not show on his face. Years of suppressing emotions, serving as ninja and living in his household made sure of that. He didn't know what to say so he stayed quiet.

"It was suicide," Yashiro watched Fugaku's eldest carefully. He fished the note out of his pockets and handed it to the boy. He observed each of Itachi's movement with an eagle eye, looking for something... anything. The boy read the note impassively, never betraying his emotions on his movements or his face. He was good.

Too good.

He was dangerous.

When word of Shisui's death reached the Uchiha council today, they immediately ordered the police force to question Itachi. Yashiro, although old, was not part of the council, but he knew they knew something. He wanted to know why.

"That is the suicide note that we found. It's in his handwriting -"

"But we all know anyone with the sharingan can forge someone's handwriting perfectly and no one would be able to tell the difference," Tekka inserted.

Yashiro didn't reprimand the youngster for his rudeness, his eyes remained fixed on Itachi. "We would like to ask you again to escort us to the police station peacefully, Itachi."

Obsidian eyes narrowed and a brow lifted in question. "Are you implying that it wasn't suicide and that I'm involved in it?"

"Those are your words, not ours." Yashiro replied. "Now let us escort you to the police station."

"I refuse."

Inabi's smile was without humor. "You have no choice in this matter."

"I disagree. As I've already told you, I'm supposed to be in a meeting right now and you've already caused me to be late as it is. If you have no further questions, I'm going to take my leave now. If you need help regarding the case, feel free to contact me in the future. I'll see if I can fit helping you in between my ANBU missions."

"Being in ANBU doesn't exclude you from justice, Itachi."

"I didn't do it." Itachi finally said. If they wanted to hear him say that then there it was. Yes he _felt_ something regarding Shisui's death, hell, he would've assisted Shisui himself if not for reasons he would rather not repeat to himself again, but what did they expect him to do? Were they waiting for him to break down and cry? Yeah, that'll happen... when pigs fly.

"We need to take you down to the precinct." The three Uchihas surrounded him.

"You are welcome to try," Itachi repeated. Inwardly sighing and shaking his head at the stupidity of these weaklings, he activated his sharingan.

"What is going on here?"

Startled, the four Uchihas preparing for combat turned to the robed figure.

"Yondaime-sama!" The three Uchihas from the police force bowed low while Itachi merely bowed his head.

Arashi waved his hand in dismissal. "What's going on? Is Itachi-kun in trouble? I could see you from my office and wondered what it was."

"We were just asking him to accompany us to the police station for some questioning, Yondaime-sama." Yashiro's aggression vanished.

"For what reason?" He had inkling but he wanted some confirmation.

"Regarding the death of Uchiha Shisui."

"Why do you have to take him to the station? My report doesn't connect Itachi-kun to Shisui's death so unless you think he killed Shisui and if you have solid evidence against him, I would appreciate it if you don't bully one of my ANBU, Yashiro-san." Arashi's blue eyes closed as he smiled widely.

"Yes, you're right Hokage-sama but -"

"If it'll make you feel better, I'll vouch for his character and take personal responsibility for Itachi-kun's actions until you bring me solid, undeniable proof that he's guilty of whatever crime you suspect him of doing."

Tekka felt his jaw hit the ground. Inabi's eyes were wide.

"Yondaime-sama," Yashiro started "that's -"

"Yes?" Arashi continued to smile.

"That's -"

"I swear it on my honor as the Hokage."

"That's insane!" Inabi exclaimed, earning a glare from his superior.

"Unnecessary," Yashiro corrected, glaring at Inabi some more. "I'm sure the council will trust your judgment on this, Yondaime-sama."

"Thank you."

Tekka and Inabi narrowed their eyes at Itachi. "Be thankful that the Hokage is willing to back you up Itachi, or else," Tekka threatened in a whisper. Itachi didn't pay him any attention. After bowing to the Hokage, the Uchihas left to report back to the station, cursing Itachi's good luck and connections in high places.

"Well that was something, wasn't it, Itachi-kun?"

"Your assistance was unnecessary but I offer you my thanks, Hokage-sama."

"Okay then, why don't we -"

"Yondaime-sama."

"Yes?" _What was it now?_ The masked ANBU kneeling respectfully in front of him didn't give him a good feeling.

"There has been an incident in the academy."

Arashi froze.

"Kagome-sama collapsed -"

Itachi turned into stone.

"- and was brought to the hospital -"

The masked ANBU didn't have a chance to finish his sentence. Two blurs took off to the direction of the Konoha hospital before he could even blink.

"Yondaime-sama!" The medic-nin on duty approached the Yondaime, shooting the Uchiha a curious look. Why was he here? "Your daughter was brought to the infirmary but there are some complications."

"Complications?" Arashi was on the verge of hysteria. "What's wrong with her? She was fine just this morning. If I'd known she was sick, I would've taken the day off... I would've... What do you mean complications?"

"Well she -" a wave of bad energy swept through the whole hospital. The medic-nin had to lean on the wall for support. "She's been discharging negative energy every several minutes, Yondaime-sama."

Arashi's eyes widened. _Kagome!_ "Where is she?" He was already heading towards the source of the pulse, instinct guiding him, Itachi only a step behind.

"Tousan!" Naruto ran to his father as soon as he spotted him, tear tracks marring his whiskered cheeks. "Gome is – she's – there's something wrong with her 'tousan! I don't know what to do! Fix her 'tousan! I don't like it 'ttebayo!" Small hands tugged on his father's cloak, pleading. He no longer cared if boys weren't supposed to cry or that he was crying in front of the super cool Itachi; he just wanted his sister back to the way she was. He was scared.

He blamed himself for what happened. He should've known something was wrong with her this morning; should've known she was sick from the way she felt. Naruto was unnaturally in tune to his sister's feelings so he thought it odd when she felt weird when they went to school today. She laughed it off when he asked and blamed the excess oden she ate from the party yesterday. He believed her, the ramen in his stomach felt like it was quarreling with all the ice cream he consumed, too. He didn't know she was sick from something else.

Arashi picked up a hysterical Naruto as he spoke in between hiccups. "I – I thought it was just a tummy ache so I didn't tell you or Iruka-sensei." _Sniffle. _"She looked a little sick but I believed her when she told me she was fine. If I knew she wasn't feeling well I wouldn't have teased her during recess. I thought she was just teasing me but her eyes rolled back and she fainted." Naruto was so distraught; he was unaware that he was twisting a portion of his father's Hokage robe in his hands. "She hit her head on the ground and then she wouldn't wake up. Then the black cloud started to eat her and I got scared."

He twisted his father's Hokage robes tighter. "Sasuke and Hinata wanted to come but sensei said they couldn't. I got to come because I bit sensei on the leg and told him you said I had to take care of her." He looked into his father's eyes and hiccupped. "Am I going to be punished?" His 'tousan never physically punished either of them, but a week's worth of no ramen was just as cruel, or even worse, in Naruto's opinion.

Arashi rubbed circles on his son's back. "Now why would I do that?" He was going to have to remind Naruto to apologize to his sensei later but he can set that aside for now.

Naruto's bottom lip quivered. "I don't want Gome to die. It's my fault she's sick!" He wailed.

"Don't be silly Naru," Arashi hugged him. "I'm sure the medic-nins are doing their best to cure Kagome right now. If you cry, it'll only make her sad."

Naruto stopped crying but his eyes were still watery.

The medic-nin that got left behind when Itachi and Arashi rushed to find Kagome earlier only now caught up to them. "Yondaime-sama, as I was saying -"

Again, another wave of bad energy swept through the hospital corridors.

Naruto's hysterics made him momentarily forget about that earlier. "What was that?"

"That was your daughter, Yondaime-sama." The medic-nin finally had the chance to explain. "When they brought her in she had a mild concussion from her fall and the medics easily cured that but there's something... odd about her." The nurse frowned.

"Odd?"

Right on cue, the infirmary doors opened and another medic-nin stepped out. He removed his medical mask before he approached the Hokage. He bowed. "Yondaime-sama."

"How is she?"

The medic-nin, a Hyuuga from the branch house, gave Itachi a curious look before he reported to his Hokage. "I am sorry to inform you that your daughter has all the signs of chakra poisoning -"

"What!?"

The medic looked taken aback from the outburst. He was expecting the Hokage to react the way he did but what was the deal with the Uchiha? Uh... where was he? Oh yes, "Chakra poisoning. The unusual thing about your daughter's case is it's unlike any chakra poisoning any of us have encountered before. Even the best medics are left baffled." He wasn't going to say it but _he_ was one of the village's best medics. "If we had Tsunade-sama here, perhaps we could make some progress... but every time we try to cure it using the methods known to us, the symptoms come back a few minutes later. Most of our medics have run out of chakra trying to contain the cloud. I myself -"

"What _cloud_?" Arashi couldn't help but ask. His son mentioned a cloud earlier too.

Naruto made fluffy motions with his hands. "It's a cloud, 'tousan. It's trying to eat Gome!"

"Well, I'm not sure if it's trying to eat her, but -" the medic gestured towards the infirmary doors. "You could go in to see for yourself, Hokage-sama. I'll take Naruto-sama and -"

"No!" Naruto latched on to his father's neck in a death grip.

Arashi gently pried the little but strong hands that were cutting off his air supply away from his throat. "It's okay, he can come." He croaked then looked at Itachi whose entire aura was screaming 'take me with you! Take me with you!' "He's with me, too." He pointed at Itachi.

The medic knew better than to question his Hokage so he led the way.

The emergency room was a little crowded, but none of the medics working on the little girl missed who their new arrivals were. More than a few raised their brows upon seeing Itachi, but they were all ignored because the trio's attention was directed on the girl lying down on the floor in the middle of the room. The healers had drawn a medical circle around the room, seals and medical jutsus written around it.

Naruto sniffled, eyes watering once again. He tried valiantly not to cry but his bottom lip wouldn't quit shaking. He clung to his father tightly, still in the man's arms. Arashi couldn't blame the boy. He felt like crying himself. For a father, it was very traumatic to see his daughter look so vulnerably sick. Kagome had a pale complexion and beads of sweat marred her winkled forehead. She looked like she was trapped in some kind of nightmare and it was very hard for him to see his daughter like that. Even Itachi looked affected.

The cloud comments earlier now made sense, too. A black cloud of what seemed like chakra gathered around Kagome. Arashi understood the oddness the medic was talking about earlier – chakra wasn't normally visible, except when used in techniques like rasengan or chidori. The chakra around his baby girl was clearly visible and, he had to agree with Naruto, looked like it wanted to _eat _her. Several medic-nins surrounded the circle on the floor, chakra glowing on their fingers, while they concentrated on keeping the girl safe from the cloud. The different kanji written on the floor glowed in correspondence to what procedure the healers were performing, and others glowed in response to the medics in charge of keeping the black cloud away. The source of the weird burst of bad energy earlier was also made clear when the medic-nins lost their hold on the cloud. The result of the release was the burst of energy, momentarily incapacitating those with depleted or low chakra supplies. Seconds later, the containment field was up and running again once the ninjas no longer able to perform were quickly replaced by others.

"Is it alive?" Arashi asked when he recovered from the numbness and depression that came with the dark energy. The closer you got to the source, the bigger the effect was.

"It almost seems like it," the Hyuuga medic replied. "At this rate..." - he really, really hated this part of his job – "the healers are going to run out of chakra and we're going to run out of healers to contain it. We don't know what else to try -"

"What do you mean running out of chakra and not knowing what else to try!?" Itachi beat Arashi to the punch, scaring the lights out of the poor Hyuuga medic. The surprised healer looked like he was about to wet his pants. Itachi activated his sharingan and copied whatever medical techniques the healers were using. "I'll do it myself when you run out of medics!"

Arashi was thankful for Itachi's unexpected and uncharacteristic outburst because it gave him time to collect himself. "I -"

"Should have sent for _me_ as soon as this happened!" A half-angry, half-joking Mushin burst through the room without any prior notice. The door made a loud bang against the wall when he entered, and the person who was with him quietly closed it behind them.

"No one is allowed to enter this room while -"

Arashi held an authoritative palm up to silence the noisy medic. "Mushin-sama!"

"Don't 'Mushin-sama me' you useless Hokage!" Mushin ignored the outraged gasps that echoed in the chamber.

"Who are you?" A random medic-nin who wasn't tending to Kagome narrowed his eyes at the old man. How dare this old man call their beloved Yondaime useless?!!

"Miroku!" Naruto wiped his nose on his father's sleeve and scrambled to get down from his father's arms.

"Hi, Naruto-kun! Hi Itachi-san! Long time no see." Miroku joked, waving with one beaded hand while his other carried a bag.

Itachi nodded curtly at him, not looking away from copying the techniques the healers were using.

"You're here to save Gome, right? Right, Miroku?" Naruto looked at Miroku with pleading big blue eyes. The young monk smiled at the younger boy and patted him on the head reassuringly.

Robes billowing in an unseen wind, Mushin walked closer to the circle to observe the Konoha medics. His face lost all traces of joviality when his eyes landed on the young miko. "Miroku, hurry and prepare the things we need."

"Hai!"

"You, you, _you_ and you," Mushin pointed at all the ninjas in the circle who were doing whatever they were doing. "Get out of the way. Now." Gone was the happy-go-lucky Mushin that Arashi was used to. In place was a seasoned old monk who meant business.

All the shinobi who could threw him withering glares. Of course they weren't going to do what a crazy old monk was telling them to do! Was he crazy?

"If we abandon our posts, something might happen to Kagome-sama," one of the healers spelled it out for the kooky old monk. They weren't going to let the girl die with her father and Itachi in the room! They all knew the Yondaime wouldn't do anything bad to them if they failed, but none of them missed the underlying threat in the Uchiha's eyes. None of them were willing to find out if any of the rumors about the Uchiha prodigy were true.

"Make them go away," Mushin ordered Arashi. Miroku was currently drawing symbols, pasting ofudas and muttering chants around the chamber.

"Everyone stop and give Mushin-sama room," Arashi took charge. "Right now," he added with his 'I am Hokage' voice when no one moved.

As expected, the black cloud of energy sent another blast when the healers dropped their containment field. Arashi wasn't the only one who noticed that Mushin and Miroku glowed when the energy wave hit them. This time though, with no one containing it, the black energy filled the room, seeped into the bones and suffocated the occupants inside. The medics with depleted or low chakra passed out from the exposure and most of the still conscious ones were brought to their knees. Itachi and Arashi were doubled over from the malice that surrounded them. Naruto held his father up, not showing any signs of being affected by the black cloud at all.

Kagome's whimpers intensified, a pained "No! No spiders!" escaped her lips while she desperately clawed the air. Arashi grabbed his son when he tried to dart towards his sister when he heard her cries.

"Damn," Miroku cursed under his breath, "It's stronger than we thought."

"Miroku, don't curse." Mushin corrected him before he shook off the effects of the jyaki. "And hurry up with that protection circle or they'll all pass out."

Miroku grinned sheepishly. "Oh, right." He quickly finished the wards around the room, containing the jyaki in the chamber, and then hurriedly drew a big enough circle around the others. A quick chant and several ethereal glows later, those within the circle could breathe properly and think clearly again.

"What just happened?" The Hyuuga medic was one of the few who managed to_ not_ pass out when the crazy old monk gave his ridiculous order. His voice was raspy and his breath ragged, like he'd just run a marathon from Konoha to Suna in less than a minute. "If we don't contain -"

"Don't worry about it," Miroku grinned at him while dragging a passed out Konoha ninja into the protection circle he drew. Naruto, who was still unaffected by the jyaki, opted to help and soon, all the people in the room, unconscious or not, were within the circle. "The circle keeps you safe from the dark energy but I won't guarantee your continued good health if you decide to take a leisurely stroll outside it," the young monk informed the ninjas. "The wards I placed around the chamber will contain it inside so you have nothing to worry. You should probably concentrate on reviving your comrades."

"Can I do anything to help, Miroku?" Naruto asked. The anticipation in the boy's eyes was too cute to turn down.

"Can you make sure that your dad and the others don't leave the circle, Naruto-kun?" Violet eyes met blue ones seriously. Naruto's blond head bobbed up and down solemnly. "Okay, now be a good boy and no matter what happens, stay inside the circle, okay? And try to keep them quiet," he winked at the boy, "or else I might lose my concentration."

"You can count on me, Miroku!" Naruto saluted him.

"Miroku and I will take care of everything, Naruto-sama." Mushin assured the miko's brother. "And I will talk to you," the rings on his staff jingled when it was pointed at Arashi's direction, "later."

The monks spent the next hour performing various sets of chants and using several ofudas on the miko. One by one, the medics who passed out woke up and all the Konoha shinobi watched transfixed at what the houshi were doing. The air inside the sealed chamber crackled with spiritual power: blue from the houshi and pink from the miko, which slowly but surely overpowered the black energy. Ofuda after ofuda burned in the middle of thin air and seal after seal glowed.

It was unlike anything any of the ninjas have ever seen before.

The holiness in the room was so thick that even the people inside the protection circle could feel it in their bones. Naruto huddled closer to his father, feeling the prickly sensations on his skin. He could feel his sister's energy signature shielding him, but Miroku and Mushin exuded so much purification that it gave him goosebumps.

"I think I've seen this before," one of the revived medic-nins whispered to another.

"Sssh!" Naruto placed a finger on his own lips to shush the man. "Miroku said to keep quiet," he hissed.

The medic-nin didn't talk again until the houshi finished. When the dark energy finally disappeared, the two took a moment to collect themselves before standing up. They looked tired but relieved.

"It's done," Mushin said. "She'll probably be out for several days at least, or until her reserves recover and it wouldn't hurt to have her checked by the medics."

"You can take her home when she wakes up and if there aren't any other complications," Miroku added. He was as old as Itachi, even though he didn't act like it most of the time, but he looked so serious now.

"Thank you," Arashi bowed to the monks gratefully. Naruto and Itachi rushed to Kagome's side right behind the medics, keeping close watch as they checked her. The medics didn't have the heart to push the boy away when he reached out to hold his sister's hand in support.

"There are no traces of chakra poisoning left in her system. Her breathing and heart rate have stabilized as well as her chakra flow," He deactivated his byakugan after reporting. What these monks did... "How?" The Hyuuga medic-nin verbalized the main question they all wanted to ask at the monk. "How did you cure her and what method did you use?"

"I'm certain I've seen their methods before," the medic-nin who was shushed by Naruto earlier spoke up, "I could've sworn you were performing a purification ritual, but I could be wrong since what I saw differed from what was performed on a cousin of mine several years ago. Her parents believed she was cursed by an evil spirit and they called in holy men to help her. They 'cleansed' her, if I remember right. I remember being fascinated by the intricacies of their actions that's why I could see the resemblance."

"You were a very observant child," Mushin allowed Miroku to clean up and gather their supplies. Kagome was lifted to a stretcher to be taken to a private room upon the head medic's orders. She was to be monitored for the next few days or until she woke up to see if there are any side effects. "We did perform a cleansing ritual on the child," the old monk allowed, hoping it was enough to satisfy the medic's curiosity.

It wasn't. "May I ask why?"

"Yes you may," Miroku smiled at him and followed the others out the door. Itachi volunteered himself for guard duty and Naruto was right on his heels.

The medic looked to Mushin for answers. Mushin beamed at the man, carefully choosing his answers. "The child suffered from a demonic curse, the one you thought was chakra poisoning. It was trying to take over her and we cleansed and exorcised as we saw fit. Her chakra was depleted so she'll be weak for several days but I know Konoha will employ the best medical facilities and procedures to help her through it. Don't worry, it's nothing life-threatening anymore, I'm sure you'll do a great job to help her recover," he nodded to Arashi. "Might I have a word, Yondaime-sama?"

The medics who heard the monk's explanation felt like there was something more to it, but they had no choice but to drop the subject. Even if it was bizarre and they had more unanswered questions than answers, they didn't know where to start. Speculations and theories spread like wildfire amongst them as soon as the old monk stepped out with their Hokage.

"I can't help but wonder," Mushin said as they walked towards the room one of the staff told the Hokage his daughter was brought to, "when and how this happened to Kagome-sama. There were hardly any guests left when we went home last night and I can't imagine where or how the miko could come across a strong demonic curse from last night to this morning. It was even strong enough to alert Miroku in the middle of meditation. That boy is going to be... What's wrong, Yondaime-sama?"

"Er..." The Hokage fidgeted, "If, _hypothetically_, I were to tell you that she did something last night that someone said would be safe therefore I allowed her to do it..."

"What did she do?"

Inside the private room, one of the nurses advised Naruto not to climb on the bed while Itachi stood sentinel on one corner, closely watching Miroku stick ofudas on each side of the room.

Arashi paused, sneaking a glance at Itachi. "I'm not really at the liberty of saying much, but a friend of hers came to visit during the party and said something about -"

"What friend?" Mushin's brows furrowed.

"Just a friend..."

Mushin's frown deepened. Their conversation wasn't making sense. "Did Kagome-sama use her miko powers during the time in between after the party and this morning?"

The look on Arashi's face was answer enough for the monk.

"I see."

"We'll talk more of this later then," Mushin said, waiting for Miroku to finish. "We'll wait until Kagome-sama awakens."

ღ

Kagome was dreaming.

_Kagome!_

A child's voice was calling out her name followed by happy laughter.

_Did you bring me pocky?_

There was much warmth and feeling of fluffiness.

_I love your ninja food!_

... Like a bushy tail or really soft fur.

_You promise to bring me more candy?_

Really, _really_ soft fur.

"Kagome?"

_I'll protect you from Dog Turd! _

"Are you awake, Kagome?"

_Can I call you mama?_

"I think she's waking up."

_We'll always be together because we're family._

"Go get a nurse."

_I promise._

White ceiling tiles and the smell of really sterile environment invaded her senses. A gentle hand was petting her hair. "Papa?" Her body refused to cooperate when she struggled to sit up.

"He had to go pick up Naruto-kun but he'll be back soon." The hands petting her hair stopped to help her sit up.

"Why do I feel like jello?" Her head hurt, like it usually did when she slept too much and her stomach rumbled. "I'm hungry."

"You were sick," Itachi replied, standing up to heat the soup that his mother left earlier.

"Was I really sick?" Blue eyes roamed wearily around the hospital room. This was her first time getting hospitalized. She was kind of scared but it went away because Tachi was with her.

"Hn. You've been sleeping for two straight days." He brought the bowl of heated soup back to the bedside and pulled up the food tray.

"My head hurts."

The domesticated image of the most feared ANBU captain patiently feeding the little girl a warm spoonful of soup greeted Neji when he came back with the nurse on duty. Neji looked a little taken aback. Itachi was unfazed by the incredulous stare the nurse gave him as he continued to spoon-feed the girl. Who was he to refuse her puppy dog eyed doe plea? His guilt certainly made him more agreeable.

The nurse closed her gaping mouth. "Uh- um – don't mind me, Uchiha-san, I'll just take her vitals and be out of your way." Despite the fact that this was just another routine, it was a little nerve-wracking to her, working under the teenager's sharp eyes. She marveled at how the small child was so at ease at the notorious Uchiha's presence. "Your chakra is still recovering but you're getting better, Kagome-chan," she smiled at the little girl in pink puppy pajamas with the matching nightcap. "You should be careful next time you train, okay? You shouldn't do such dangerous things at such a young age," she lightly scolded.

"Un!" Kagome beamed at her.

The nurse resisted the urge to hug the cute little girl since the Uchiha might not like it. A lot of rumors have circulated around the staff and especially those who had friends or relatives at the academy. The source of the girl's illness was never cleared up but there have been a lot of speculations. Whispers of cover ups, conspiracies and supernatural forces at work ran rampant. One of the staff even swore he heard the Yondaime and that weird old monk who 'came to the rescue' mention something about a demonic curse. She was among the very few who believed that the Yondaime's little girl exhausted herself in practice, like her father was widely known for in his youth, and the bizarre incident days earlier was a result of a jutsu gone wrong. Just like the Yondaime's assistant explained. There was nothing remotely demonic about the little girl at all, even if her brother was the Kyuubi vessel, the nurse further added silently in her mind.

"Are you done?" Itachi's voice snapped the nurse out of her daydream.

"Wha? Oh. Oh! Yes, I'm done." She tried not to flush in embarrassment. It was mortifying to be so startled around this kid. He might be tall for his age, but he was still almost ten years younger than she was. She knew there was no reason to be so skittish around him, but his reputation made her nervous. "Someone will be by to check up on the IV and your vitals again tomorrow but you can eat normally for now, Kagome-chan. It's okay to eat hard food but don't force yourself to swallow anything heavy if your stomach feels funny, okay?"

Kagome didn't really know what hard or heavy food was but she nodded anyway.

"Can I have an apple after I finish my soup?" Big blue eyes looked at the shiny red things on top of the table in the room.

The nurse nodded, "Of course, Kagome-chan."

After the kind nurse left, Neji washed one of the apples and started to peel it for Kagome's consumption. "Naruto and your father were really worried about you," he answered when she asked whose bags were on the corner of the room. "They've been sleeping here with you since you were admitted. Itachi-san was assigned to guard you but your father and brother insisted they stay here with him as well."

"Naruto-kun comes with Sasuke and Hinata-chan after school to do homework after school," Itachi added.

"We were all very worried about you, even Kakashi-san," Neji said.

Kakashi also volunteered to watch their patient, concerned for the bags under his Hokage's eyes, but Arashi only thanked him and told him he'd lose more sleep if he went home instead of staying in the hospital room. Naruto had pitched a hell of a tantrum; holding on to door hinges and clawing on the walls when Arashi attempted to take him home so they packed their clothes and camped out in Kagome's private room. An additional long sofa had been added to the suite to accommodate the long list of volunteers willing to hold a vigil over the girl and the in-suite bathroom was already cluttered with Uzumaki family bath supplies. Even pink and yellow rubber duckies temporarily migrated with the family.

"I'm sorry," Kagome said in a really small voice, clutching her bed sheets. Itachi handed her a small glass of water to drink before he took the now empty soup bowl to rinse in the bathroom.

Neji patted her hair, "Don't worry about it." Kagome opened her mouth to accept the peeled, bite-sized apple. A casual observer would say that the little girl was very spoiled. "Do you want anything else, Kagome-chan?" Neji asked after the apple was eaten and the plate was washed.

"I wonder what's taking the others so long," Itachi mused.

"Um..." Kagome hesitated, employing that patented puppy-doe look again.

"Yes?" Neji and Itachi encouraged her to spit it out.

"Can I -"

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"Watch it, Miroku! You can't just stop in the middle of a doorway!" Naruto grumbled. "What's your problem?" He asked as he pushed his way through the monk who looked like he turned into stone. His eyes widened when he saw what it was that stopped Miroku in his tracks. "What happened to you guys?!"

Sasuke glowered at his bestfriend who was now doubled over, laughing so hard with his tears in his eyes. "Naruto, what -"

"Good god! What happened to you two!?" Kakashi's single visible eye bugged out. Thankfully, he had his mask on so no one could see the hilarity on his face.

Neji and Itashi's glares were sharp enough to injure. No, they were deadly enough to kill. Naruto was just too dense to notice the promise of death behind their angry scowls or he was probably too overcome with amusement to care.

"Why are you all standing in the doorway blocking it?" Arashi walked in and ordered them to move inside. "Naru, why are you laughi- good gravy! What the..." The Hokage coughed into his fist and clamped his hand over his mouth. If he wasn't Hokage and if he was younger, he would've laughed outright like his son did.

Kakashi occupied himself with counting the ceiling tiles while Sasuke tried to be as inconspicuous as he could. The younger Uchiha didn't know if he should be horrified or amused. He settled for keeping quiet, since his brother didn't look like he was finding the situation as funny as Naruto was.

"Look papa, aren't Tachi and Neji pretty?" Kagome was proud to show her handy work to her father.

Arashi gawked while Naruto continued to point and laugh.

Outside, a butterfly pollinated a beautiful flower and a flock of birds flew in the sky.

Sasuke looked everywhere but his brother.

Kakashi was on his thirty-fifth ceiling tile...

"You look very pretty, Itachi-san," Miroku batted his eyelashes playfully at the other teenager. He was ignored.

"I take it you're feeling better then, princess?" Arashi slowly approached the bed, not daring to look at Fugaku's eldest or Hiashi's nephew. "Do you think you should let Itachi-kun and Neji-kun go now, baby?"

Kagome pouted but agreed to let her live dollies go. Next time, maybe they would allow her to put ribbons in their pretty hair.

"What took you so long?" Itachi glared at the group, daring them to laugh at his two braided pigtails. Naruto was the only one callous enough to point out Neji's and Itachi's girly braids. Was it really funny to see his long hair in braids? Neji looked like a girl but he was sure he looked masculine compared to the child.

Sasuke kicked his bestfriend. "Dobe got us stuck in detention today because he told us he had a plan to sneak us out of school to go to the hospital," he confided to his niisan.

"Iruka-sensei had a nice long talk with me," Arashi continued, shaking his head. "Next time Naru, try not to get Hinata-chan into trouble okay? She's too cute to be dragged into one of your crazy schemes."

"But Hinata wanted to come see Gome too, didn't you, Hinata?"

The Hyuuga heiress pressed herself closer to Kagome's bed. "H-hai, Naruto-kun."

"See papa? I didn't force her."

Arashi gave up. "Are you hungry, princess?"

Kagome's small shoulders went up and down.

"She had a bowl of soup and an apple after she woke up," Itachi said. "The nurse said she could eat anything she wants in moderation."

"Ramen?" Naruto asked, climbing on the bed next to his sister. He beamed when his sister's head bobbed surprisingly to and fro in approval to his suggestion. Their father promised to get them some ramen later for dinner and the twins cheered.

Hinata and Sasuke also found their way on top of the bed and the children updated Kagome on school stuff she missed while she was gone. Iruka-sensei, Naruto told her, sent her some homework to do while she was away, which Kagome groaned at. Hinata gave Kagome a crown of flowers; it was from the flower arrangement class the girls had today. Kagome was sad to have missed that.

The word on the street was that Kagome was a sickly girl that's why she had to be hospitalized. It must've been due to some gossips who overheard Arashi when he told his children's teacher that Kagome had always had the weaker constitution compared to her brother. Of course, Arashi failed to mention that Naruto was practically invincible because of his Kyuubi-enhanced immune system, but nobody knew that aside from a few select people.

Thus the nickname 'Kagome the sickly girl' was born.

Thank you, Arashi-papa.

"Itachi-kun," Arashi took the teenager aside to give him the news personally. "Thank you for looking after Kagome all day again today."

"Don't worry about it, Hokage-sama."

He struggled for a moment. "Since you've been assigned to guard Kagome, you haven't gone to your normal missions."

Itachi shrugged, meaning that he didn't really mind. He wasn't able to train his new jutsus too but he didn't think he could concentrate much if he went anyway. From the looks and insinuations the monks threw his way, he knew he was somehow responsible for this whole mess. It added to his guilt and the only way to get rid of the nasty feeling was in form of servitude.

"Remember that mission your squad was supposed to do this week?" Arashi waited for the teenager to nod. "Another ANBU squad was sent and things went terribly wrong. They were ambushed by a third party and there were no survivors." The Hokage chose to leave out the gory details, such as the complete massacre of the victims and almost unidentifiable states of the bodies. When Itachi remained silent, Arashi continued. "No one is blaming anyone, it was just another routine mission," he hurried to explain before breaking the news to the boy. "Kaoru was there."

Itachi blinked. "Kaoru... Uchiha Kaoru?"

Arashi nodded. Uchiha Kaoru was the third person in Itachi and Shisui's genin team. Shisui and Kaoru were often overshadowed by Itachi's fame, but they were good ninjas. They might not have climbed the ranks of chuunin, jounin and ANBU like Itachi did, but they could be considered brilliant if the spotlight focused on them alone.

Itachi showed no outward reaction to the news but he was saddened by her death of course, even if it was just a little. So soon... only recently after Shisui's suicide, too.

"Oh!" Miroku glanced up from his conversation with the children when the door opened. "Grandpa's here."

Mushin nodded to the Hokage.

Kakashi felt a little uncomfortable under the monk's gaze. Why was the old man staring at him? Was there something on his face? The Hokage asked him to drop by his office this afternoon and he got dragged to the academy and then to the hospital without any apparent reason. He thought his Hokage wanted to talk to him about something but his former sensei hadn't mentioned anything specific to him yet... and now the monk was staring at him.

He stared rudely back.

"Naru," Arashi cleared his throat, "why don't you go to Ichiraku's and get some take-out ramen and bring it back here?"

"Now, papa?" He playfully swatted his sister's hand when picking on his hair while she complained about how it wasn't pretty and long like Neji's or Itachi's.

Arashi lifted him off the bed and gave him some money. "Take Sasuke-kun and Hinata-chan with you, I think they have to go home soon anyway."

"I'm going home with niisan later," Sasuke said, he felt like Naruto's dad was trying to get rid of them.

"Go help Naruto-kun get the ramen, Sasuke." Itachi ordered. He knew what the Hokage was up to.

"Kakashi-san can go with them," Mushin spoke.

Arashi looked surprised. "Are you sure, Mushin-sama?" Kakashi wondered why the Yondaime had to ask permission from the monk to make him go get ramen with a bunch of brats.

"Yes I'm sure. It's okay."

Kakashi didn't understand the true meaning behind their exchange but he could read between the lines. "You heard the Hokage," he herded the kids out the door. "Let's go Neji," he pushed the protesting boy out the door. (No! My hair!) Hinata barely managed to squeak a goodbye before Kakashi hauled her out like a sack of potatoes and Naruto didn't give Sasuke time to protest.

"I thought you wanted to examine Kakashi as well?"

Mushin brushed Arashi's question away. "Although he has a sharingan eye, he's not an Uchiha. Only Uchihas are cursed with the mark of the tengu."

Itachi's curiosity was piqued. "How do you know about that?" Their clan's scroll hidden deep within the seventh mat of the Nakano Main Temple was a closely guarded, very well-kept secret.

"I come from a clan of monks that is older than your clan. Do you honestly think we don't keep an accurate record of all the demons we know of, curses and other ancient rituals we pass on from one generation to the next?"

"Is Tachi a demon?" Kagome worried. She didn't want to purify him. "And Sasu, too?"

Mushin shook his head. "No, no miko-sama. A diluted hanyou maybe but not a full demon," he clarified, not achieving his goal to put Kagome's mind at ease. "Long ago, demons and humans alike roamed the land. Humans were a weak species and were no match for demons, but they survived because they were superior in number."

As apprentices under Mushin, Kagome and Miroku knew of this story already, but these revelations were all new to Arashi and Itachi.

"There were, rather, _are_ various types of demons. You," Mushin referred to Itachi and Arashi, "might be more familiar with the _bijuu_ or tailed beasts. There are nine in all, ranging from the one-tailed demon raccoon Ichibi no Shukaku to the nine-tailed fox Kyuubi no Youko."

Arashi tensed; his children didn't know that the Kyuubi was sealed inside Naruto yet. He planned on telling them in the future, once they were old enough, but not yet, not right now. Itachi had an inkling of what happened to the fox demon, but he didn't really care about it at this moment.

"In the past when demons ruled the land, humans developed holy powers to fight against them. Village monks or mikos would protect the people from demonic invasions. Monks and mikos thrived then, because they were the first line of defense against these monsters. As time passed, the number of demons diminished and the need for holy men and women decreased. Some believe that the decrease of the demonic population was due to the boom of human civilization – humans who didn't have holy powers developed tools, weapons and techniques to combat them; some would argue that the reason was because demons are picky and would mate for life or wouldn't mate enough; and there are other theories like the Shikon legend of someone wishing for humans and demons alike to live in harmony as well, just to name a few, but none of us would ever know for sure. The only certainty is that the human race eventually became the dominant species. Of course, among the survivors of the demonic race are the demons that are more intelligent than the average ones. Most of those more intelligent demons are humanoid in appearance."

"Like the tengu," Miroku said, looking pointedly at Itachi.

"Yes," Mushin agreed. "Like tengu – or, to be more precise, like the karasu-tengu, crow tengu or otherwise known as koppa or konoha-tengu. Not a lot of people know about these long-nosed, bird-like, winged creatures known as 'foliage-tengu', but from the looks of it, you might be familiar with them, Itachi-kun."

Itachi tensed, the monk was right. He was familiar with crow tengus, two statues adorned their top secret sacred clan shrine under the Nakano temple and his clan possessed a suspiciously large amount of tengu-related wall scrolls and decorations. He nodded to the monk but further tensed when Miroku interrupted, sidetracking his grandfather's main story and told of a tengu myth:

The _Tengu no Hauchiwa_ or the Tengu's Fan.

Miroku enthralled Kagome and her father about the story of a miscreant obtaining a magical fan from a tengu that could shrink or grow noses. The bad man, he told Kagome in a grave voice, secretly used the fan to grow the nose of a wealthy man's daughter and offered to shrink it again in exchange for her hand in marriage. Miroku assured little Kagome that the crook got his just rewards when he later accidentally fanned himself while sleeping and caused his nose to grow so long that it reached the heavens - a rather painful accident befitting his dishonesty.

Itachi was bothered when the monks skirted around and didn't really answer Kagome's question: "Does Tengu-san's fan look like the fan on Tachi's back?"

Going back on topic, Mushin told them that some demons eventually procreated with humans to ensure the survival of their lines. Kagome interrupted to ask her papa what 'procreated' meant and her father went into a short and stiff explanation of how the demons became 'partners' with the humans; he promised to explain it more to her in a few years and threw Miroku a withering look when the young monk sniggered at him.

Going back on topic once again, Mushin informed them that his ancestors believed that a karasu-tengu bred with a member from the Hyuuga clan, thus giving birth to the very first Sharingan. Their offspring would have, of course, been a hanyou but a being with demon blood all the same. Most half-demons were killed at birth, hunted because of prejudice or shunned from society. They had no place in demonic circles because they were considered weak or lower class by the full demons, and they had no place in the human population because they were considered monsters by the full humans.

Hanyous were considered cursed because the melding of human and demonic genes would sometimes result in abnormalities. Those who aren't born horrendously deformed and those who are lucky enough to grow to childhood or adulthood are plagued with various other things:

A night of weakness, according to Mushin's family's ancient scrolls, was the most common. One night every month, the hanyous would revert to their human forms and be therefore left totally defenseless against those who hunt them.

Insanity was also another common deficiency. The demonic blood in the hanyou would often be too much for their human halves to contain, the difference in power poison their minds to the point of dementia once the bloodlust took over.

Mushin also mentioned inheritable demonic curses, in which he glared pointedly at Arashi in that 'you are a bad father' glare, saying that it wasn't something that mere children were supposed to play with, no matter how powerful they were. Arashi looked taken aback by Mushin's glare and Miroku's head shake which conveyed 'if you weren't Hokage I'd be choking you with my bare hands right now'.

Diluted hanyous, as Mushin liked to call the descendants of the union between a full human and a full demon, retained these 'curses' in their blood no matter how many generations removed you are from the original full demon and full human ancestors. A genetic imprint, if you must. Not all the descendants necessarily had these curses with them, of course, even if they were hereditary, but those who have don't necessarily die immediately because of it or suffer from insanity that the power brings.

Some descendants get to reap the rewards of having a demon ancestor without succumbing to the darker side of things, Mushin explained. He further added that the sacred art of freeing these descendants from the curses of their blood was an art long forgotten. It was so old, out-dated and rare that he didn't know of anyone ever having an accurate record of it. He then rounded on Arashi and demanded he explain how his daughter had a demonic curse on her, resulting in her chakra and spiritual exhaustion.

Arashi defended himself, employing wild hand gestures, saying that he didn't know what would happen and took Kagome and Ryuk's word for it that it was safe. The Yondaime found it terribly unfair that Mushin didn't use the same confrontational or chastising tone of voice when he asked the young miko to tell them why she did it.

Ryuk, she said, told her that it was perfectly safe and would even save her Tachi's sanity. She'd been observing those treasure boxes (which turned out to be curses) for several years and Itachi's had started to leak bad stuff (poison) into his body.

"It's the curse of the hanyou," Miroku said, understanding what the miko was trying to tell them. If he saw someone he cared about being consumed by demonic bloodlust and had a way to stop it, he would've done the same thing. He shuddered to think how an Itachi taken over by bloodlust would have acted.

Mushin eventually sighed, giving up. If the miko was willing and strong enough to purify it out of Itachi's system, then he wasn't going to censure her for it. He did, however, warn her not to do it ever again.

Kagome refused, much to their surprise. Sasu, she said, had something similar and she wasn't going to hesitate to do what she did to her Tachi to him as well if she could help it. Nobody else she knew or saw in the Uchiha clan had volatile demonic seeds in them, as far as she could tell, but even if it were someone she wasn't friends with, she would help them too, she added. Not even her papa could make her change her mind, and the fact that Sasuke wasn't really showing signs like Itachi was, only _potential_, was their only consolation. Kagome could be very stubborn when she wanted to. She also refused to let Mushin try to exorcise this shinigami friend she talked about, not cooperating when he asked her to summon the being with them so he could try even if he was sure he wasn't powerful enough to take on an immortal being.

Arashi and Itachi had more questions regarding demons and curses, which Mushin eventually answered, since the miko became uncooperative. She didn't take lightly to the suggestion that she not help her friends and even try to do harm to another, so she pointedly ignored them afterwards.

Arashi was curious to know why Kagome did suffer as much when she got rid of Neji's curse seal and Mushin explained that the Hyuuga curse seal on Neji's forehead was fresh when Kagome decided to purify it and it was man-made compared to the Uchiha's. Itachi's was genetic, old and demonic in nature. The curse seal was cake walk compared to it. The Hyuuga curse seal was purified out of existence while Kagome absorbed Itachi's into her own body.

Miroku shared a legend he read about in an old scroll about a two legendary mikos: one was cursed by a hanyou's poison and the other tried to purify the jyaki out of her system. The scroll told that the mikos were submerged under water when the younger priestess purified the older one. He speculated that the most effective way of purifying a strong curse seal infused with dark energy is to do it under water because you could disburse the jyaki in the liquid surrounding you instead of absorbing it into your own body and later suffer while your body purifies it out of your system. It was successful, he added, which earned him a smack from Mushin, telling him not to give Kagome any more ideas in the future. Miroku nursed his head bump, grumbling about only trying to share a legend he read about.

Itachi was especially interested in knowing more about the tengu and other stories involving these demons since the monks tried to keep an open view about them. As long as they didn't mean any harm, they tried not to look at demons as evil monsters. The Uchiha elders gave Itachi the impression that they keep their demonic ancestor as a curse upon their noble lineage, seeing it as a cross they had to bear, so it was very refreshing to him to speak with people who saw another side to it. The path that Uchihas had to walk was to be defenders of the peace and keepers of justice in the village. Those who were fortunate enough, or _un_fortunate enough in Itachi's opinion, had more burdens added to that already heavy cross when the truth about their heritage was revealed.

Without the tengu, in Itachi's opinion, his clan wouldn't have the sharingan. Without the sharingan, it wouldn't be possible to progress to the Mangekyou Sharingan. Granted, the Mangekyou coupled with the demonic genetic imprint normally caused insanity, but thanks to Kagome, he felt relatively safe from psychosis. Why shouldn't he feel lucky? Why should he mold his beliefs like his other clansmen and put his head down in shame just because they had a demon for an ancestor? This wasn't the Sengoku Jidai anymore.

Arashi didn't like the light that entered the Uchiha teenager's eyes. It was the same look Neji had when the boy swore eternal fealty to him and his family because his daughter 'saved' him. No amount of assurance could convince the little boy who acted too old for his age that he owed no obligation to anyone, especially Arashi and his family, because of what Kagome did.

Why can't his kids just be normal? Was that too much to ask? Ordinary kids brought home stray dogs or homeless cats; his children brought home visiting shinigami, wild foxes and devoted followers swearing their eternal service. People might start to think he taught his children how to build cults or something! Or _something_.

Their interesting discussion came to a screeching halt later when the children and Kakashi returned with delicious hot ramen and a perverted hermit in tow. Neji and Hinata had gone home and Jiraiya was loudly arguing with Naruto about how much ramen he's entitled to eat because of the two extra helpings.

The old toad sage took one look at the pained expression on his student's face and grinned evilly. It was that same look the blond had whenever Fugaku or Hiashi were around him. He handed the lollipop melting on his pocket to Kagome and waited for the ramen to be served. Naruto was unnaturally generous to his sister when it came to the ramen, insisting on giving her the choice ingredients even from his own bowl. The two days without Kagome in the academy had been hellish for the teachers, the Uzumaki boy had been difficult to handle – pranking everyone even at inappropriate times and sleeping in the middle of lectures – Arashi received more complains during the past two days than the past year combined. They all knew the boy was just acting out from the absence of his sister.

While they ate, Jiraiya made sure to sit beside his former student. Arashi was still eyeing Itachi defensively. "Well," Jiraiya said, enjoying the cautious look on his former student's face, "look at it this way – it'll be a few years before they graduate academy and a few years after that you'll be too busy worrying about all the _other_ suitors that you won't have time to worry about _just_ the Uchiha boy."

Arashi glared at his former sensei. "I hate you."

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_**Omake:**_  
Alt + 9834 or ALT + 13 on your keyboard equals ♪  
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All the codes are on my profile, click on the "Unicode" link.

_**Q: Who will Kagome pair up with?**_

A: I love the idea of a harem but I don't have the skills to write it. -; I think it's a little obvious who she's going to end up with on this chapter, isn't it? –gets pelted by sharp objects-

_**Q: Will the other Inuyasha characters show up?**_

A: Maybe, but not in ways that you might expect... Look for them in the Chuunin act or after.

_**Notes:**_ It's scary how close some reviewers' reviews are to the story sometimes, that's why I'm trying to keep my mouth shut and not say anything. –mouth shut no jutsu- Keyword: trying. Can you read all the characters on my title and summary? Please tell me which ones you can't see and thanks for the reviews! I'm surprised people even read this. xD Cyber cookies for everyone who spots all the Inuyasha references.

**Centurious The Azure** has tengu ideas better than mine (you should go read his fic), I just thought about the demon thingie from those tengu statues the Uchiha clan has under the Nakano temple... and the Uchiha fan... and that confrontation between Sasuke and the Kyuubi inside Naruto's mind in the manga. I'm not really making this all up (the karasu tengu is really called konoha-tengu or foliage tengu and all the gibberish about tengus are loosely based on true Japanese myths) so please don't throw sharp objects at me. :þ I should probably do a shout out to **YuuYuu Hakusho** because I stole Yusuke's 'Heir of Raizen' plot and gave it to the Uchihas to make it more _demonic_... so... –_cough-_... yeah... _-flees-_


	5. The Lost Episodes

**To Whom It May Concern: ** Sorry for the late chapter. I promise (or hope!) the next chapter will be better. This is just a silly short chapter that I had to get out or else it wouldn't leave me alone.I have the next chapter partially written but I've been slacking off during my free time. (Playing FFXII for the hunts I skipped) I wasn't going to update yet because I was touring Ivalice, but the number of reviews made me feel guilty so I typed this up fast. I can't believe this fic got a hundred! I feel so grateful to everyone who reviewed! Thank you, thank you so much!!!

**Chapter Five: The Lost Episodes**  
January 24, 2007

Mikoto smiled at the ten year old who showed up unannounced on her doorstep. This was a normal occurrence; the child was almost a part of her family, the daughter that she never had. Obsidian eyes took note of the puffed out cheeks and stiffness of those little shoulders signifying annoyance and ushered her in without having to be asked.

Fugaku was still at work. He would be pleased to find out that their surrogate daughter paid them a visit today.

"Itachi is in his room sleeping," Mikoto answered before she was even asked. As mentioned before, this was a normal routine in their household so she was familiar with the inner workings of the chibi's mind. "You can go and -" the mother of two didn't have a chance to finish her sentence when the chibi bowed and thanked her enthusiastically then happily sprinted off to the direction of her eldest son's room, all traces of her earlier annoyance gone.

The Uchiha chuckled to herself and went to her kitchen to check if she had enough ingredients to cook the chibi her favorite meal later, adding three more to their family of four. Her husband was sure to be happy at dinner time.

"Tachi?" The chibi whispered and knocked softly, knowing from experience that if he was awake he would hear it however quiet it was. At the absence of a reply she opened the door and peeked inquiring eyes inside.

Itachi was lying on his side fast asleep in the middle of his bed with his low ponytail undone.

_He is so pretty, _Kagome thought, tiptoeing quietly towards him after closing the door. The bed barely dipped under her weight as she crawled towards the sleeping Uchiha. He looked so vulnerable in his sleep, almost as if he was begging to be hugged or have his hair braided. Fingers longed to trace the lines on his face but refrained, afraid of waking him up.

Two hours later, the Uchiha household had another visitor.

"Coming!" Mikoto cheerfully called out to the person knocking on her doorstep. Wet hands were wiped on her apron and moved to open the door. She beamed at the unexpected guest. "Hokage-sama!"

Arashi smiled at the charming Uchiha matriarch. "I told you not to call me that, Mikoto-san. With all the trouble my twins put you through you're more than welcome to call me Arashi."

Mikoto smiled brightly and led him inside. "Sorry, it's the robes. They make it hard to call you just Arashi. Come in, come in. Make yourself at home."

Arashi thanked her and took off his Hokage robes, leaving it on the coat rack in the entrance. "I couldn't find them so..." He started.

She understood instantly. "Kagome-chan is in Itachi's room. She came here alone a couple of hours ago, I think the boys left her behind again," she looked apologetic in behalf of her youngest. "Sasuke's in that stage where he's a little mean to girls. I think he might have convinced Naruto-kun to go along with his plans again." Those plans often involved convincing Naruto to ditch Kagome and run off to spar somewhere out of the little girl's reach.

The Hokage nodded in comprehension, he understood. They went into the kitchen. "No need to apologize, I've been through that stage myself." He grinned, accepted the tea offered and engaged in pleasant conversation while enjoying the delicious cup. Arashi allowed himself to relax and let his Hokage personality down. Mikoto was really nice to talk to and he could see why his children liked the mother of two so much. She reminded him of his wife, in a sense, and he could even see the similarities in their personalities. Both had a gentle, nurturing instinct and if his wife was alive, he envisioned her to be as loving as Fugaku's wife was to the kids.

He watched her as she talked about her children and his children, sharing a conversation she had with Iruka-sensei at a PTA conference at the academy. He attentively listened with half an ear while his thoughts wandered on how she influenced his twins' growth. He didn't know when it happened but somewhere along the way he began to rely on her to fill the role of female guidance where his babies were concerned.

He blamed it on Fugaku, he really did.

He was still wary and on guard around the man's presence as well as his sons', especially now that they were growing up, but he had no natural defense when it came to the man's kind wife. She was too sweet-natured to suspect and he wasn't heartless enough to treat her with the same cautious attitude as he did her husband.

After he emptied his second cup, he couldn't help but notice his daughter's absence. He frowned, thinking that surely they weren't doing anything that warranted the privacy of Itachi's bedroom.

"Why don't we go check on the kids?" Mikoto suggested, turning off the stove under her already cooked casserole. The man could be so transparent when it concerned his daughter.

Itachi woke up with his senses tingling from an unknown threat. The heavy weight on his chest snuggled deeply into him when he moved and a very stiff Yondaime was the first thing that he saw when he opened his eyes. The man's knuckles were turning white from where they clenched on his bedroom door frame.

Ah.

He should've known.

The chibi never failed to make herself at home on his chest, in his bed or anywhere upon his person, for that matter, as long as he could remember. He was sure her father was aware of that as well but lately, the man showed more and more displeasure each time it happened. The dark haired chibi was too stubborn to listen to her father about not doing that anymore so Itachi had the _privilege_, please note the sarcasm, of incurring the blond man's disapproving glare.

And they worked well together as ninjas, too. He never heard one bad thing from the Hokage when it came to his performance as an ANBU.

With help from the blond, Itachi successfully disentangled himself and his hair from the chibi's grip. While the Uchiha tied his hair in a low ponytail, his mother went back to the kitchen and the chibi slowly woke up. She was a little disoriented and surprised to find herself in her papa's arms, quickly searching for her Uchiha pillow. Feeling mellow from her just awakened low blood pressure, she didn't protest when she was carried back to the kitchen.

She was still snuggled comfortably on her papa's lap when Sasuke and Naruto finally made their appearance looking disheveled and worn out from training. Sasuke squirmed uncomfortably when his mother told him he should be nicer to girls, Itachi noticed, taking note of how his brother was acting. Naruto was like a puppy begging for forgiveness after being caught chewing on his master's favorite shoe when his father questioned him about leaving his sister behind _again_. He had that 'if I look cute, I hopefully won't get in trouble' attitude down to an art form. The older blond completely fell for the kicked fox cub look, complete with trembling chin and glistening saucer eyes.

Itachi rolled his optical devices when even his mother got hooked and gently told Naruto to go clean up with Sasuke before dinner. Apparently, the trio was invited for an evening meal at the Uchihas'. He couldn't help but notice his father's perceptible delight when he found the Yondaime's family at his house when he came home. He also noticed that his old man didn't even shoot him those frigid, suspicious glares he was beginning to get used to ever since news of Shisui's death spread. In his entire life, the only times he saw his father act remotely human was when he was around his mother or the Yondaime's daughter.

"It's delicious as usual, Mikoto-san." Arashi didn't hesitate to go for seconds during their meal. Naruto bobbed his head up and down in agreement, following in his father's footsteps and reaching for more. It was rare for their family to eat a home cooked meal as good as this one in their own home.

"I wish papa could cook like you, Mikoto-mama." Kagome said. Papa's specialty was beef ramen, pork ramen, shrimp ramen and miso ramen... but mostly just ramen. If he attempted to cook anything else, their kitchen severely suffered. Non-explosive concoctions suddenly found themselves mysteriously blowing up for mysterious reasons. Papa had a talent for that.

Fugaku looked kindly at the candid child. "You're always welcome in our home, Kagome-chan."

Kagome beamed at him. "Naru and Papa too?"

Fugaku nodded, wondering how many times he had to say that to the girl until she remembered. Every time she came to visit or eat diner with them they would have the same conversation. His wife and children had more influence with her, he noticed. It also didn't slip his observation that he was the only one in their family without a personal nickname from her. His eldest was 'Tachi', his youngest was 'Sasu' and his wife was 'Mikoto-mama'. He was 'Uchiha-san' or 'Fugaku-san' on good days. He wished she would drop the _keigo_ or polite-speak with him, even coaxed her to _twice_, but she never did. If he wasn't who he was he would've asked her to call him Fugaku-papa to match Mikoto-mama but he was an Uchiha and Uchihas never _asked_ for anything... and Arashi looked possessive of his papa title so Fugaku wasn't even going to touch that with a ten foot kunai.

How many more years would it take to earn her trust? And why would Itachi have her faith while _he_ didn't? It boggled his mind.

"So tell me how your training went, Sasuke." Mikoto turned to her youngest. She was slightly disturbed by his current behavior regarding his friend's sister. They got along so well before... was something bothering him? Fugaku had been paying more attention to him lately...

Sasuke shrugged into his miso soup.

"He could hit four targets successfully now!" Naruto eagerly answered for him. And then almost as an afterthought, "So could I..."

Sasuke snorted.

Naruto glared at him. "I did! Twice!" He grumbled. He wasn't as good as Sasuke but at least he was trying his best.

"Can I come with you next time?" Kagome asked. Naruto hesitantly looked to Sasuke for answers, wishing he'd say yes, who suddenly found the fish very interesting. "Tachi can you help me train with my shuriken?" If they weren't going to let her train with them then she was going to train with someone else.

"I'm sure Itachi-kun has a very busy schedule," Arashi began to explain but Fugaku had other ideas.

"Why don't you take her with you, Sasuke?" Sasuke fidgeted slightly, uncomfortable under his father's scrutiny.

"Anata," Mikoto gently intervened "I'm sure Sasuke has his own reasons and Itachi wouldn't mind practicing with Kagome-chan when he has the time."

Itachi inclined his head in agreement. He knew who secretly wore the pants in his parents' marriage. "On a weekend when I don't have any missions," he promised.

"She has really bad aim," Naruto confided with them, earning him a frown from his sister.

The weekend after that, Itachi couldn't make good on his promise so he vowed he'd make it up to her for sure. She waited and waited but soon found out first hand the frustration that Sasuke felt whenever his brother failed to make well on their appointments.

Things took a turn for the worse when some members of her friend's official fanclub decided she was in the way of their idol worship and cornered her to give her a piece of their minds...

Kagome's chin quivered and her eyes watered but she stood her ground. She asked herself - _What would Naruto do?_ "If you don't leave me alone, I'll -"

"What, tell your father?" one of the girls circling her mocked, sniffing her nose down at her.

The girl was tall.

She was a midget in comparison. "N-no!" She fibbed, hoping they'd buy her Naru-impression. She wasn't a coward, she really wasn't. It was just intimidating to have a circle of burly girls closing in on you from all sides like this. Outnumbered and without a height advantage, she couldn't help but feel unconfident about how she'll stand up to these bullies. "I'll make you feel sorry!"

Her voice cracked, ruining the confident aura she was aiming to project.

"No you won't," a girl behind her disagreed with a sharp poke at her back. "You're not strong enough."

Anger was quickly replacing whatever fear and apprehension she felt. "I'll tell Naru -"

Another girl tugged on her hair painfully. "That's all you are, a little tattletale. Without your brother you're nothing."

"No I'm not! You'll be sorry! When Sasu finds out - oomf!" The kick out took her off guard. _Ouch._

Everyone could feel the anger emanating out of the chibi's body now. The circle took an apprehensive step back, unsure about the aura they were experiencing from the chibi picking her body up from the dirt. Those who looked close enough could see the slowly building fire behind those blue eyes.

"Maybe this isn't a good idea after all..." one of the bullies hesitated. "If sensei finds out, we might get in trouble. He'll tell the Hokage and -"

"NO!" The leader of the pack gathered her bearings. Remembering their goal, she stabbed an angry finger at the chibi's shoulder. "Stay away from Sasuke-kun! He belongs to everyone, not just to you. Quit monopolizing him and stop taking all the attention!"

Kagome winced from each painful jab that punctuated those demands but held her ground. "But Sasu is my friend!"

"And stop calling him _Sasu_ like you're so familiar with him!"

"Yeah!" one of her minions agreed. "Why are you speaking _yobisute_!" The reminder of Kagome speaking about their beloved Sasuke-kun _without any honorifics_ snapped them out of their hazes.

The circle of angry fangirls began to tighten around Kagome once again.

"And what's with that 'Sasu'? So annoying. He's Sasuke-kun to you or Sasuke-san."

"Or Sasuke-sama," one of the younger years piped up, doing a little hair flip that should be banned from girls her age.

"But I've called him that since as long as I could remember..."

"Well starting now you need to stay away from him because it pisses us off!"

"He's my friend!" How were they expecting her to not see her friend anymore? "And he's friends with Naru too! You can't make me – ow!" _Honestly! _Pulling on her hair was really too much! The burning sensation of her scalp made her eyes water involuntarily. The sniffle caught her unawares, a reflex from the hair pulling and her fists tightened along with it. If one more person pulled on her hair she was going to...

"What are you doing to Kagome?"

There was a collective gasp from the fangirl pack when they turned to confront the voice. "It's a big Sasuke-kun!" One of the fangirls said in awe, unfamiliar with who they were dealing with.

Kagome took their relapse to her advantage and made a run for it, hurtling her little body towards her unexpected savior. "Tachi!" At age ten, she was no longer head to leg with the Uchiha; she was head to waist.

"Are you alright?" Itachi asked gruffly, patting her hair while contemplating how to deal with the brat pack who was bullying his chibi earlier. He had half a mind to unleash Tsukuyomi on them or acquaint their heads with the sharp end of his kunai.

"He looks just like Sasuke-kun." Apparently, their brain cells weren't in top shape.

Itachi narrowed his eyes at the girls looking at him with awe. "If I see any of you bullying Kagome again," none of them were really paying attention to his threat.

"He's also an Uchiha," one of the girls pointed out the fan on the back of his shirt.

"Are you related to Sasuke-kun?" one of the Annoying Ones bravely asked.

Kagome frowned at them, not liking the looks in their eyes. It was the same look they had whenever they were around Sasuke. Itachi was hers!

At that thought, her grip on his pant leg tightened and all traces of fear or apprehension vanished. In place of those weak emotions, she felt irritated and defensive of how they were ogling what she considered hers. Yes, you heard right. Itachi was _hers_. He belonged to _her_, not anyone else.

Itachi wasn't alarmed at the sudden change he felt in his chibi but he lifted her on to his arms just in case. In a few years, he figured he wouldn't be able to do this anymore without incurring the Hokage's rasengan through the back of his skull. His chibi was starting to mature and her father was getting more and more (and more and more) overprotective each passing day. Naruto too, sometimes, but he could still fool the inexperienced boy.

"He's Sasu's niisan and you can't have him," Kagome stared them all down. Itachi was half-expecting a lightning bolt to rain down from the heavens and smite the Annoying Ones from where they stood. She surprised him when she punctuated her statement with a quick lick to his face to mark her territory, he figured, which earned a unified gasp from their audience.

"I'm not a piece of food," he mumbled at his chibi softly but she wasn't paying him any attention. You're only supposed to lick food you don't want others to eat, he wanted to say.

"Is he your boyfriend?" Wide saucer eyes looked from the big Sasuke-kun to their classmate for answers. Licking his face to show her claim was a bold move from the chibi. The rest of the brat pack leaned in to catch the response.

Kagome's brows furrowed, contemplating the question. "He's a boy and he's my friend. Kiba-kun is a boy and my friend too but I'm Tachi's bride," she beamed at them, all traces of her earlier bad mood gone.

Itachi didn't say anything, but was amused at her proclamation. Bride eh? He wondered if the Yondaime knew about that... He wondered what the man had to say about that.

The gaggle of fangirls oohed and aahed at the chibi's statement. "So that means Sasuke-kun is like... going to be your brother-in-law, right?"

"That is so cool!" The fangirl clique gaped at them some more and threw several questions at the chibi which she happily answered.

"Is he really in ANBU?"

"Do you really have the sharingan?"

"Do you have any tattoos?"

"How old is he?"

"When did he graduate from the academy?"

"What's Sasuke-kun like at home?"

"Can you introduce me to Sasuke-kun?"

"Is she really your bride?"

"Can I touch his hair?"

When Kagome frowned and said no at the last question, Itachi thought it was time to cut the little press conference short. "Go back..." he eyed the other children on their lunch break "to your lunch and from now on, you will leave her alone. If I hear anything about Kagome being bullied again, you won't like what I'm going to do to you. Is that understood?" His Sharingan-backed speech caused them all to gulp nervously. Satisfied at their agreement, Itachi went to look for his brother while still carrying Kagome in his arms.

"Next time, you should go get help or just never leave Naruto-kun's or Sasuke's sides so you don't get into trouble," he felt compelled to advice her wisely. She was weak. She lacked height, muscle, stamina and killing instincts. She lacked hatred to strike back against those who thought they could push her around because she looked like vulnerable prey.

She played with the ends of his ponytail and told him that she had to go to the bathroom.

"Then take Hinata-chan with you or make sure you're not alone." He said as he carried her back to where her friends were.

Her little shoulders lifted into a shrug and Itachi had a sense that she wasn't really taking his advice seriously. The girl had no sense of self-preservation. At all. She was weak and naïve.

"Because she's small..." One of the teachers said when he went to talk to them about the bullying he witnessed. He made sure that no one was around to bear witness to him poking his nose in the little girl's business of course.

"And the Yondaime insists on not giving his children special treatment..." was Iruka's answer.

And her brother is the Kyuubi vessel, Itachi filled in the silence. Nobody said it but he knew it was on their minds. Only a handful of people inside the village didn't harbor any secret animosity towards the Yondaime's son. No one openly talked about it since the Sandaime made laws forbidding those who knew of it to talk about it, but children could sense the secret dislike their parents felt for the Kyuubi child. They didn't understand where it stemmed from but they tuned into the silent resentment emitted and emulated it. It was as natural as the trickling of that quiet hostility towards the sister who was always close to her brother _especially_ whenever they saw her hanging out with their school idol.

Cornering his brother away from their parents' prying eyes and ears was easy. He had to, since it was his only option left – staying by her side twenty-four/seven or eliminating the threats was a little extreme for this situation. Konoha would probably frown upon him threatening girls half his size, even if they deserved it for what they did to his chibi.

He figured the man to er... man, Uchiha to Uchiha talk was long overdue anyway.

The following day after that, Kagome noticed a change in Sasuke's attitude. He was a little bit on the mean side to her before – what with all the teasing, the leaving behind... the urging of Naruto to not include her in their games and activities because she was a girl. She was glad that Sasuke got over his mean phase and finally decided to be the nice friend she had growing up again.

Papa was pleased to know that Sasuke was playing nice with her again. He didn't know he wasn't in the first place and didn't pay any mind to what that was about. Children and their quirks was what he thought. And Sasuke was just a kid. He was more lenient with the kid than his older brother. Between the two of them, the older one posed more of a threat than the younger one so when his daughter received hairclips from the younger one, he thought it was cute.

Kagome wore them everyday for two whole weeks until he gave her more.

It was cute, it really was. He was glad his son's bestfriend wasn't trying to make his son's sister cry at every opportunity anymore. Those were a few weird months, if he could say so himself. Thankfully, now it seemed over.

"Papa look at what Sasu gave me!"

Arashi looked up from the scrolls he was reading in the living room to greet his daughter just in time to receive the plushie in his face. He had to move Mr. Plushie at arm's length before he replied, "That's really nice, Gome. Did you remember to thank Sasuke-kun?"

"Un!"

He looked over his daughter's head to smile at the boy. "Thank you, Sasuke-kun. You don't have to give her anything you know, you've already given her a lot."

Sasuke had a barely detectible blush on his cheeks. It was Saturday and the only ones absent from their little group so far were his brother and the Hyuuga girl. "Tousan said it was okay... and I don't want a girly doll anyway."

Neji snorted from where he sat on the couch. A staring contest ensued from the Hyuuga's snort, Sasuke was clearly not amused. Kagome skipped off to answer the person knocking on their door.

"Hmmm..." Jiraiya observed the interaction with a critical eye. Once in a while he would tap a finger on his chin, nod knowledgably then scribble on his papers. Beside him, Kakashi would offer his opinion when asked or voice out his thoughts when inspiration struck. They were so in synch with each other's ideas that they would even finish each other's sentences.

"What if this happened to the girl and then -"

"- the guy would do that and after which -"

"- they would go to the -"

"- place where they could -"

"- while the other isn't watching and -"

Arashi watched, oddly amused at the way his former sensei and his former student were getting along so well. It was nice of them to include Naruto in whatever they were doing, even if the child was just sitting with them, looking at them with big eyes.

"Yes!" Jiraiya gave Kakashi a thumbs-up sign reminiscent of Gai's good guy pose. "I love that idea!"

Kakashi's only visible eye curved pleasantly beneath his forehead protector.

"Papa, Miroku's here!" Kagome informed her father over her shoulder and went outside to greet the newly arrived Itachi.

"Miroku-kun, what a surprise! Mushin-sama isn't with you?"

Miroku's violet eyes twinkled in merriment. "This is strictly a social call, Yondaime-sama. Grandpa has given Kagome-sama the weekend to train with someone else."

"Is that so?"

"She went to practice with Itachi-san in the backyard right now," Neji said, finally breaking his staring contest with Sasuke. The Uchiha smirked at him, counting it as his victory.

"That's nice." The Yondaime replied burying his head the stack of scrolls once again.

Outside, Itachi was helping Kagome with her aim. "You need to concentrate. Stop looking at other things and just focus on your targets."

"Kay!"

Itachi eyed her suspiciously. Even when she agreed to concentrate, he could tell that she still wasn't paying full attention to her targets. The shuriken scattered around the target, imbedded on the trees and littered on the ground were proof enough. "Try again," he instructed with great patience. "You have great potential yet your aim is really off when you don't pay attention."

She tried again for close to an hour. She was a little more successful this time so he rewarded her with a pat on the head and ordered a break. She seemed to enjoy it very much.

"I don't understand why your marks on everything else are above average yet you have the lowest grades in weapons class. I talked to your sensei and found out that you're the best in your class when it comes to defensive tactics yet your offensive moves are the lowest the academy's had so far."

Kagome shrugged, picking a small log to sit on. "I don't like attacking things."

"It's part of a shinobi's job, Kagome. You can't leave yourself open to any weaknesses. You must hone all your abilities to be a better ninja." He looked her in the eye as he told her. "I would rather you _not_ become a ninja if you don't know how to properly protect yourself."

She gasped, looking like he just suggested that they go on a puppy-kicking spree. "I can't do that! Naru's going to be the best Hokage and I'd be the best medic-nin like Nade-neechan! And if I become a really good med-nin Naru and papa will be proud of me. Once I become really, _really_ good I could tell everyone to stop whispering behind Naru's back when they don't think we could hear them," she crossed her arms in front of her chest in a stubborn gesture. "I want to be in the same squad as Naru, too! I don't want him to go on missions when he's ninja and get hurt. If he's hurt_ I'll_ take care of him, not anybody else."

"Yes but if you don't know how to defend yourself, how are you going to help Naruto-kun?"

"I know how to defend myself," she blinked at him owlishly. "Mushin-sama taught me how to make that chakra shield, remember?"

Yes, he remembered. But it didn't look like a chakra shield to him or his sharingan. Try as he might, he could never copy any of the girl's techniques either. "Okay," he decided to try another route. "What if you and Naruto-kun are out on a mission and you get ambushed. Say he's fighting several opponents at once and then another one comes at him from behind but he's too busy fighting off the others to notice."

He felt satisfied at how her eyes widened at his words.

"Are you confident enough in your taijutsu and weapons skills to say that you can protect him? Save him in time? What if you can't? Will you still refuse to hone your offensive attacks because you don't like hurting people?"

Black hair so dark it had bluish streaks flew at all directions as she shook her head vigorously, an alarmed look on her face.

He allowed the pleased smirk to creep into his face. "_Now _will you try harder to hit the targets this time?"

ღ

Naruto's jaw had far long dropped to the floor. He was way beyond astounded now, he passed blown away many miles ago. The things these three were talking about... it was astonishing when it was just Kakashi and Ero Sennin, but when Miroku joined their focus group, everything just skyrocketed to something he couldn't even begin to find the right words for.

"... because that way it's more fun, don't you think?"

Jiraiya and Kakashi couldn't help but marvel at the boy's natural talent. Jiraiya was floored at the thought of someone having the potential to surpass even him.

"You're a genius!" Kakashi gushed. He _gushed_ and yet the old toad sage couldn't help but agree. He seemed to be gushing at the boy as well.

"Remarkable! I've never considered that angle before but I'm loving it more and more."

Arashi unburied himself from his stack of scrolls enough to stretch his aching muscles, easing the crick in his neck. Curiosity made him open his mouth, "What are they talking about?" He asked Neji whose pearly eyes were half the size of his son's. Naruto's blue ones were occupying half of his face, if that were even possible.

"They're talking about Jiraiya-sama's new novel," Neji croaked.

He bumped his knee on the table when he stood up quickly "Sensei!" grabbing the permanently scarred Naruto out of the perverted circle in one fluid motion.

"What?" Jiraiya looked totally innocent.

"You shouldn't talk about adult stuff in the presence of children."

"You didn't mind about it before," the reply was sulky.

"I didn't know you were tainting his mind with lewd subjects!"

"Hey!" Jiraiya protested. "They're not lewd!" Looked genuinely offended, "they're works of art." Miroku nodded in agreement while Kakashi started inching away to a safe distance from the fallout. "You don't even know what we were talking about."

Arashi raised a challenging brow. "So tell me, just what you were talking about."

"Tell him, Miroku!" He slapped the boy behind the back in encouragement.

The young monk was happy to take up the challenge. "Well Jiraiya-sama was stuck so I suggested something for his new book. See the premise is about this young princess who has an overprotective father."

Arashi shifted Naruto comfortably in his arms "Go on," and motioned for Miroku to continue.

"Since the king is so protective of his daughter, the princess remains single even when it's time for her to get married."

He was unimpressed with the boy's story so far so he made a noncommittal noise at the back of his throat to indicate he was listening.

"So the kingdom holds a tournament to match their princess to the strongest warrior. But the winner is someone the king doesn't trust with his daughter, and so she ends up with a harem."

"What!?" Arashi had the strangest look on his face. He couldn't decide if he was going to sputter or laugh. "Where's the rest of the story? How does it go from the king not trusting the winner to the princess having her own harem?"

"It's Icha-Icha Paradise, not some romance novel," Jiraiya waved his hand airily. "I'm not aiming for an epic love story, the male harem will sell with my audience."

He had to shake his head in disgust. "Well, try not to scare Naruto with your harem talk next time, okay? He's too young for stuff like that."

"Ask them what the names of the people in their story are, Tousan." Naruto whispered to his father.

He thought it was an odd request but asked anyway. Kakashi plopped down on the other side of the sofa which Neji was sitting on.

"There's Jine," Miroku said. "He's her childhood friend."

"And then there's Tasuke," Jiraiya added. "He's Chiati's little brother and runner up of the contest. They both get to be uke of the harem under Chiati who is the ultimate seme."

"What weird names," Arashi pointed out, brows furrowed. "Why do they sound familiar?"

Miroku and Jiraiya shrugged at him innocently. Having shared their brain child to him, they went back to brainstorming possible scenarios in the upcoming book.

There was a long pause before he asked again. "Hey sensei, what's the name of the princess?"

"Miko," Jiraiya answered automatically.

There was a tense moment of silence among the younger ones as they saw the mental gears in the Hokage's mind shift. When something finally clicked into place inside Arashi's mind, his grip tightened. Robbed of precious air "Tousan, I can't breathe!" Naruto squeaked out pitifully. He scampered off to safety behind the sofa when he was released.

"You!" Arashi pointed an angry finger at his sensei.

Miroku wisely kept his mouth shut and did what Kakashi did earlier, staying as close to the walls as possible and inconspicuously inching his way towards safety.

"You..!" Words seemed to fail him, or perhaps it was all that anger he was choking on.

"Yes me what?" Jiraiya was confused.

"I can't believe you... you... you would..."

"You're sputtering, Arashi. Take deep breaths and start from the beginning," he cajoled, eyes suddenly widening when the man lunged at him. He barely managed to duck, avoiding the hands aimed for his throat. "What's wrong with you?!"

"I think he managed to put two and two together, Jiraiya-sama." Kakashi felt it safe to comment from where he sat. If worse comes to worst, he could always use Naruto as a human shield, he figured.

ღ

"Kagome-chan!" Hinata arrived just in time to see her friend flip back down to a low defensive position on the ground after throwing shuriken at the marks. Practice with her father was more grueling than usual today but seeing her friend always made her feel better. "Hello, Itachi-san!"

Itachi waved carelessly at the little girl.

"Hinata! Look! Look at how I can hit three targets at the same time now!" Kagome glomped the girl enthusiastically, proudly showing off her improving skills.

"That's great, Kagome-chan." All the aches and pains caused by her harsh training earlier melted away at her bestfriend's touch.

"You wanna spar later?" Shining blue eyes peered into innocent milky ones excitedly.

"Hai!" Hinata answered, caught up in the enthusiasm, and hugged her back.

"That was very good, Kagome." Itachi interrupted the little chibi love fest. He didn't begrudge the Hyuuga girl for the attention Kagome showered on her but the cute hormones, if there were such things, emitted by the chibis were starting to choke him. "Now try hitting the targets farther back this time. Don't let your -"

_BOOM!_

The trio startled when the back door flew off its hinges and out came Jiraiya, looking like he was fleeing from something.

"Now, now Arashi. This is just fiction, don't get worked up before you- ah! Put that away! Are you crazy!? And why am I the only one in trouble? It was Miroku's idea!!!"

The little girls' mouths formed a small "o" as they watched the fourth Hokage of Konoha hold up his palm and gather his chakra into a tight ball. "You're the oldest and therefore the most liable one."

"Can't we settle this more peacefully? You should have more respect for your beloved sensei!" Jiraiya accused. He wasn't afraid of his student. Yes, Arashi was strong but so was he. He just didn't want to deal with the display of parental wrath though. "It's all harmless! What are you getting so mad about?"

"Enough talk!" Arashi lunged forward, chasing his sensei as the old man fled.

Once they were out of sight, the mice inside the house felt it was safe enough to venture outside. "Are they gone?" Miroku's voice was just a tad bit squeaky.

"What the hell just happened?" Itachi's demand was soon drowned out by the voices from the forest.

"You perverted old man! I'll teach you how to write your perverted novel! Here, let me help you -"

"Get away from me, you psycho!"

"- _Rasengan_!!!"


	6. Team 7 reloaded

**Chapter Four: Team 7 reloaded**  
January 28, 2007  
_This chapter is dedicated to Sadist Sai – may you get some good sleep tonight._ ♥

_Aramitama_ for Courage...

_Nigimitam_a for Friendship...

_Kushimitama_ for Wisdom...

... and _Sakimitama_ for Love.

Once these four souls are unified in one person, they form to assemble a very strong balance within the spirit which can be used for good or evil.

Arashi was torn.

As a father, no amount of courage could keep him from worrying about what fate would befall his children once they became genins and took on missions outside the village. They've survived more than twelve years safe and sound from inquisitions, failed kidnap attempts from those who wished to earn easy money from ransoming the Hokage's children, hidden prejudice from their fellow villagers. He knew how most of the villagers truly felt. Naruto might have grown up with a very different childhood if he and Kagome weren't there to shield him from most of the animosity directed toward him.

None of the villagers outright insulted or were openly mean to his son, but most people were still stuck in the past and couldn't separate Naruto the normal boy and Kyuubi the nine-tailed demon who wrecked havoc in Konoha more than a decade ago. The entire village was polite, courteous and generous in front of Naruto, especially when his father was around, but there was no stopping the vicious gossip and unrelenting whispers made behind their backs. He was thankful the Sandaime was wise enough to impose the silence rule regarding the Kyuubi in the village.

As a Hokage, he was proud to say that his children were skilled ninja. They were going to be valuable assets to the village, and he knew they were going to become legends of their own in their own time. He didn't think this just because they were his children. He was never one to give preferential treatment to anyone, most especially his kids. As leader of the village, he was under more scrutiny than most to provide equal treatment for all. Naruto and Kagome had free reign of going in and out of the Hokage tower, not all shinobis have access to, but that was just normal. Like the Sandaime before him, if his family needed to talk to him or wanted to spend time with him, without interfering with his important work of course, was acceptable.

They were graduating from the Academy soon, and he worried about how they would live their lives as ninjas next. Missions meant exposing them to the outside world and short of putting leashes on his children or constant surveillance on them, he knew they were bound to slip further away from him as they grew up. Even if the village elders and his chief advisors weren't keen on the idea of sending Naruto out to missions that would keep him away from the village, they all knew no one could keep the boy locked up for the sole reason that he housed the Kyuubi within him.

Truth be told, if Arashi were to choose between limiting his son's freedom inside the village for those petty reasons and allowing him his debut to the outside world, he would rather choose the latter instead of the former. And his daughter was a whole different matter... he was never going to be prepared for what was to come outside or inside the village.

His sadistic former sensei's twisted sense of humor also didn't help his problems much.

Suddenly, a pair of stampeding elephants crashed through his door.

"Daaaaaaaaaaaaaad!!!" A red-faced, out of breath, visibly angry blue-eyed raven-haired academy student hollered, startling a flock of birds resting on a nearby tree.

Arashi eyed his poor Hokage door with pity. He should probably get a sturdier lock, but he didn't think it would help much. "What is it, pumpkin?"

Blue eyes so much like his own narrowed in his direction. "I told you not to call me that in public!"

"But there is no one else here and this is my private office," he replied and swallowed nervously from the 'someone is going to get hurt and it might just be you' look in his daughter's eyes. "Sorry, my bad, I did it out of habit."

Uzumaki Arashi: also known as the great Yellow Flash of Konoha, Yondaime Hokage, great leader, model father and master of the Rasengan. Shinobis tremble in fear from the mere mention of his name; he trembles in fear of his five-foot-one daughter.

Naruto was right behind his sister, laughing so hard he had to hold on to the walls for support.

"Naruto, don't forget to breathe." The Yondaime reminded his first born. The boy was turning blue from the lack of oxygen because he was laughing too much.

"Dad, tell Ru-chan to stop laughing at me -"

"Hey!" Naruto wheezed out in between guffaws, "Stop calling me Ru-chan!" Ru-chan was what Kagome called him when they were toddlers. He considered himself lucky his name wasn't Sasuke aka Sa-chan or worse, Neji aka Ji-chan. 'Tachi' and 'Nabi' were lucky Kagome made the effort to pronounce at least two syllables of their names and Hinata, her long-time bestfriend, was obviously her favorite.

"Now, now children." He cheerfully waved to a startled Chuunin who passed by his office door. The startled guy was newly appointed to the Hokage tower blinked at the open doorway. Kagome was chasing Naruto around, trying to land a flying kick on his head, much to the chuunin's surprise.

"Or else I'm going to place a subduing charm on him!" Kagome threatened and stomped her foot. She's had enough of her brother's teasing; he's been laughing non-stop for ten minutes now.

"Kagome," Arashi scolded gently. "What did I tell you?"

The twelve year old's cheeks puffed in annoyance, rebellion manifested in her eyes. "I'm not allowed to use subduing spells on my brother," she repeated her father's important rule.

"Good girl."

"But he's laughing at me, papa! Make him stop now or else!"

"Naruto, stop laughing at your sister, that's rude." Naruto's laughter finally subsided to mild chuckles after a lot of effort. "What were you laughing about anyway?" Arashi couldn't help but ask.

"Mushin-sama taught me a new jutsu today."

"That was _not_ a jutsu! What you did was too sissy to be a jutsu! All the stuff you learn from old man Mushin is too sissy to be called jutsus!" Naruto didn't really think that his sister was weak; he was just worried that that kooky old monk with the perverted grandson was leading his sister astray. How was she supposed to become the greatest ninja in Konoha like him and make their father proud together when they kept teaching her sissy techniques?

"It's way better than your orioke no jutsu!" Kagome harrumphed.

Using the sexy no jutsu, Naruto promptly poofed into his sexy female counterpart. Arashi buried his eyes in his palm, willing away the mental image of his son in a naked female's body. The boy didn't care that he was mentally scarring his father each time he did that in front of him. "You're just jealous I'm sexier than you and besides, this is merely a prank jutsu! I'm not all serious about it like you are with your disco thingie." Naruto stuck his tongue out at his sister before changing back.

Arashi raised a confused brow and removed his face from his palm, feeling old and un-'hip'. He wasn't as up to date with youngster talk like Gai was. "Disco thingie?"

"It's a summoning jutsu, not a 'disco thingie'," Kagome sighed exasperatedly. She loved her brother dearly but he could really get annoying at times, especially when he called her techniques sissy jutsus.

"Pft! I know what a summoning jutsu is, I've seen 'touchan and ero sennin do it lots of times. You can't seriously believe that you can convince me your sissy jutsu was a summoning technique."

"Stop calling it a sissy jutsu!" Kagome cuffed her brother upside the head.

"What disco thingie?" Arashi raised his hand like a proper student in class in hopes to gain their attention, turning a blind eye to Naruto's whimpers of pain.

"Mushin-sama taught me a kuchiyose no jutsu that differs from yours today and Naruto called it a sissy technique when I showed it to him," Kagome pouted at her father.

"How does it differ from my kuchiyose no jutsu?" Arashi was always eagerly interested in the weirdly different variation of shinobi techniques that Mushin-sama knew of.

"It doesn't require a blood contract, hand seals or blood sacrifice. I've seen you summon your frogs before and it's entirely different," Naruto tattled.

"Papa can I place a subduing spell on Naruto?" Kagome asked sweetly, hoping to catch her father unaware.

Arashi smiled at his youngest, "Absolutely not."

"Hmph. Will you watch me perform my new technique then?" Kagome looked at her father with big eyes.

"Go ahead and show daddy, pumpkin." Arashi watched curiously when his daughter went to the center of his office before breathing deeply. He waved Naruto over to his side to prevent him from laughing at his sister again, just in case.

His face was briefly visited by a frown when he noticed Kagome had worn one of her short skirts again. His baby girl wearing skirts never bothered him before, but recently her legs have been gathering attraction from males which was very stressful for him. It was cute when his babies were little. They'd wear clothes with identical colors, fabric and design; Naruto's more masculine and Kagome's more feminine when you look at it especially because as a girl she could wear a skirt and as a boy Naruto wore pants. It was cute when they were little and he didn't need to worry about bees buzzing around his baby girl. By the rate this was going, he was going to have high blood pressure at such a young age due to his daughter becoming a teenager. Come to think of it, if Naruto weren't here he would've probably suffered from a mild heart attack already. He could only hope for the best when they officially became teenagers. The inevitable doom was only months away.

Hitting puberty and getting her monthly visitor had been a disaster. As a single parent, he wasn't prepared for the barrage of questions his daughter had. He made a really awkward attempt at making her understand the differences between her and her brother, using bad euphemisms like kunai and shuriken because his brain died when his daughter demanded to know why Naru had that thing he could use to pee standing and she didn't. Naruto didn't want to be left out of the conversation and he had two pairs of blue eyes staring attentively at him, boring through his soul while he made an incoherent impromptu speech about the birds and the bees had been one of the most embarrassing moments in his life. His years of denial caught up to him and he wasn't prepared for that moment.

He ended the speech with ominous statements which sounded like threats, pointed to Naruto and told him he could experiment if he wanted just as long as he took care of himself and made sure it was safe; then pointed to Kagome and told her she was absolutely, positively, definitely, undoubtedly, doubtlessly prohibited from doing it until she was married and that she wasn't allowed to marry until she was forty.

The twins just blinked at his insane outburst, not understanding a word he said.

"Do what, papa?" they had asked and Kagome was still upset that her papa didn't know where to get, what size and shape to buy, and how to use the feminine products she badly needed.

Disaster in guise of his temporary salvation appeared later when Kakashi knocked on their front door. Arashi rushed to bring him inside and literally passed Naruto on to his arms with a yelled "Kakashi, Naruto has something to ask you. Answer it as honestly as you could for me, all right? Thanks, I owe you one! See ya later!" and then picked up his daughter to make his very first personal house call to the Fugaku Uchiha's house.

Mikoto, Arashi was sure, had a reserved spot in heaven, because she took one look at the irritated daughter glaring at the blushing father who was carrying her like a potato sack and the red stain on her otherwise immaculate skirt before she understood.

Arashi stood there with a helpless look on his face, not needing to say anything more than "Um... help... please?"

The beautiful mother of two understood the situation immediately and helped the girl get off from her father's shoulder and instructed him to bring some basic necessities for the girl. She took care of the rest and Kagome never asked him about those dreaded feminine products ever again.

Ah, those were the days...

Truly horrible, nightmarish days but unforgettable on their own.

Arashi was brought out of his thoughts when Kagome started...

_... dancing?_

Yes, she was currently dancing to a silent tune that only she seemed to hear as Naruto and Arashi watched. There was no other way to describe it.

_This was a summoning jutsu?_

Watching his daughter perform the steps made him understand why Naruto was trying to discourage his sister to use it. She looked beautiful. There was no other way to describe it. Like an angel; so graceful and delicate, like a gentle swan gliding on water. Her movements were flawless and flowed like water. His daughter was beautiful and he felt pride in that, but he also felt dread when he thought about how boys like the Hyuuga or those Uchihas would think when they saw her like this. Mushin-sama was supposed to be a monk, on the side of good. Teaching Kagome this technique was an act that only someone sent by the demon king would do.

Kagome's captivating dance lasted only a few moments even though it felt like it went on for an eternity. A circle filled with writings unknown to him started glowing around her brightly, flashing enough to set the Hokage's office aglow but not enough to hurt their eyes, and when she finished, something gently shimmered into existence beside her.

It was a cute little puppy with floppy ears and golden eyes.

"Tada!" Kagome presented her summoned puppy to her audience proudly and scratched it fondly under its chin.

Arashi blinked at it. Naruto was right; it was very different from the kuchiyose no jutsu ninja used. Not only with the steps of the summoning ritual but also how the summoned animal came. Normally they would appear with a loud _poof_ instead of slight _shimmering_. He truly couldn't imagine himself doing it and emerging with his ego intact as well. He was with Naruto on this one – it was a girly jutsu.

"Woof!" The cute white puppy barked and wagged its tail. Kagome picked it up and rubbed cheeks with it. She walked up to her father and allowed him to touch it.

"Isn't it the cutest thing you've ever seen?"

Arashi smiled and nodded; unable to prevent himself from scratching the puppy's ear. It was indeed cute. "That was impressive, Kagome. Did Mushin-sama teach you anything else?"

Kagome huffed, "No, they left early because Miroku got caught peeping in the women's bathhouse and had to be punished."

"Nasty pervert," Naruto muttered. The puppy barked in agreement.

"Can it talk?" Arashi asked. All his frogs could talk, even the little ones like Gamakichi and Gamatatsu, but he didn't know if tadpoles would be able to talk to him if he summoned any. He never tried it before.

The puppy barked and looked at him with real wide puppy eyes. "Woof?"

"I guess not," Naruto scoffed. "That's stupid. Pakkun and the others could talk." He stared the puppy in the eye. "What're you looking at me like that for?" Blue eyes narrowed and locked into a staring contest with golden ones.

"Stop bullying the puppy, Naruto! Only evil people do that," Kagome glared at him.

"He started it!" Naruto pointed accusingly at the innocent little puppy that could do no wrong.

Arashi just shook his head. "How do you dismiss it?"

"You just tell it you're done and it goes away." Kagome turned to the puppy. "That's it for now, Inu-chan. Dismissed!" she waved her open palm.

"Woof!" The puppy licked her nose goodbye and the circle riddled with unfamiliar writing glowed around the puppy again before it shimmered much like it did earlier, but out of sight this time.

"Mushin-sama says I could summon other familiars if I change my routine a little and bigger ones if I put more energy behind it but I didn't want your office to explode. The steps are like the hand seals because there are twelve in all, only they're not really hand seals. I haven't tried any of the other combinations yet," Kagome further shared.

"That was very good, pumpkin. I'm sure Naruto thinks you did well too and is only teasing you earlier."

Kagome blew a raspberry at her brother.

"Ah!" Naruto exclaimed, an imaginary light bulb lighting on top of his head, "Speaking of which, when are you going to teach me how to summon, dad? You promised me a long time ago and you said you'd do it when I turned twelve."

"Didn't we agree that Jiraiya-sensei was going to teach you that? He has the scroll you need to make a pact on, not me."

"I haven't seen him for more than two weeks and he's been putting off teaching me each time I ask him," Naruto crossed his arms in displeasure.

"I heard that he was caught spying on the women's bath and got chased by a mob of angry bathers," Kagome shared. Jiraiya and Miroku got along really well together.

Naruto shook his head in disappointment. How can the pervert be considered one of the greatest ninjas in all the land? He was a disgrace! "I bet he's lying dead in a ditch somewhere, beaten to death."

"Naruto!" Arashi scolded. Pervert or not, Jiraiya was still his sensei. "I bet he's floating upside down on a hot spring somewhere after the women gave him a sound beating," he grinned.

"No wonder you spawned such a disrespectful little brat." An annoyed Jiraiya sat on the window sill of the Hokage's office, interrupting their private conversation. "I came just in time to hear you slandering my name, you no good apprentice!"

"That's 'Hokage-sama' now," Arashi grinned like a rascal. He enjoyed tormenting his former sensei and the man showed him no mercy in return.

"Sama my ass, you ingrate," Jiraiya grumbled some more before he hopped off the window and gave his pseudo-granddaughter a hug. The girl hugged him back, grinning happily. She looked so tiny compared to the burly old man and was completely engulfed in the hug. Father and son only received a glare each. "If you must know, I was on a top secret, high priority recon mission."

"Yeah right," Naruto rolled his eyes. Instead of a hug, he received a noogie for his cheek.

"That means he had to go spy on women bathing _outside_ the village until the Konoha women forgot about the incident with him and lowered their guards enough to allow him to peep on them again," Arashi translated for Naruto's benefit.

"Oh har, har. Let's pick on the extremely good-looking and talented man."

Arashi looked around the room. "No one's picking on me, Jiraiya-sensei."

Jiraiya's eyes narrowed at him. "Have you always been this way? I don't remember."

"Yeah, senility comes with old age," Arashi nodded gravely.

Jiraiya glared at his impertinence. "Where did the wide-eyed, impressionable apprentice of mine go? He was a no-good show-off but I preferred him over the smart-alecky Hokage impersonator."

Arashi grabbed Naruto by the neck. "He's only half as good-looking as me even though people say he looks like my clone so you'll have to make-do with him, but he's all yours if you want," he ruffled his son's blond hair.

"Hey!" Naruto protested. "I am _so_ good-looking! Aren't I, Kagome? Stop laughing! Augh, never mind, forget it. Hey ero sennin you promised you were going to teach me how to summon. Teach me now!"

"What? I did? Hmmm..." Jiraiya asked, tapping a finger on his chin as he scrutinized the mini Arashi clone. "Alright, I'll do it. But there's only one problem."

"What is it?" Kagome and Naruto asked in unison, perplexed by the graveness of his tone.

Jiraiya placed a palm a few inches on top of Naruto's head. "You have to be _this tall_ to learn the jutsu."

The same Chuunin who was startled earlier by the rambunctious twins in the Hokage's office, on his way to deliver more important documents from one top official to another, now goggled at the open Hokage's doorway at the sight of Naruto riding on the Legendary Sannin's back in an attempt to gnaw on his head while the Hokage and his daughter pointed and laughed at them.

ღ

"Stupid ero sennin." Naruto was still pouting when they left their father's office a while later. The oldies had something 'important' to talk about, so the Hokage gave his children some money and told them to buy something to eat. Hands linked behind his head, his feet stomped on the road angrily, not appreciating people pointing out his height or lack thereof.

Kagome walked beside him. "He was only kidding, Naru. And what's wrong about your height? You're taller than me."

"Being taller than a midget is not something I should be proud of," Naruto hooked an arm around his sister's shoulder. Kagome ducked and easily released herself, then jumped on Naruto's back in an impromptu piggyback.

"As punishment for such blasphemy you shall carry me to where the oden is!" A small finger bossily pointed at the direction of the oden shop. "Giddyup, donkey!"

"Why the heck am I a donkey?!"

"Because you called me a midget, now get!" She used his hair as her reigns, kicked her legs at his sides like a true rider and the burning sensation on his scalp made him follow her instructions obediently.

"But I wanted to eat some ramen," Naruto whined.

"Well I want oden," Kagome replied. And what she wanted, she got because she was the master and he was just a donkey right now.

"Why doesn't Konoha have a shop that sells both ramen and oden? Life would be so much easier that way." Naruto groaned about his aching back even though Kagome weighed nothing more than a feather to him, so he wasn't even winded when they reached the shop. A little pity from his bossy sister wouldn't hurt so he continued to exaggerate his pretend injuries.

"Ah Kagome-chan, Naruto-kun! Irasshaimase!" The shop owner greeted, seeing the Uzumaki twins enter his humble stand. He was one of the few in Konoha who didn't hold any grudge and was honestly very fond of the playful duo.

Delicious aromas of delicious warm oden assailed their senses and filled the shop with a homey feeling. Customers littered the tables of the store, heartily eating their appetizing meals. The twins chose to take their customary seats near the counter and the padded bar stools.

"Just the usual with everything on it, please." Kagome's legs dangled from the high stool energetically. Naruto grumbled but ordered the same thing she did. "Cheer up, grumpy pants!" Kagome poked Naruto good-naturedly.

"I wanted ramen today," he continued to sulk, lips pouting.

"We'll go to the ramen stand next time, how about that?" Kagome tried her best to cheer him up, much to the amusement of some of the other patrons. Most of them forgot their wariness of the Kyuubi vessel whenever they saw Naruto in a good playful mood.

"Here you go, kids!" The shop clerk said a little while later, setting down two steaming hot bowls of oden that smelled as delicious as they looked.

"I want ramen," Naruto continued to sulk.

"Then you won't be needing this then," Kagome stopped making funny faces at her brother and swiped a beef tendon from his bowl.

"Hey!" Naruto retaliated by stealing a shiitake mushroom.

"Noooo! That's my favorite!"

"Ha-ha!" The blond made a big show of savoring his stolen loot but was interrupted when his sister took one of his octopus. On and on it went despite the glances they were attracting. Some were amused; others weren't. It was a miracle they finished eating out of the other's bowl without spilling a single drop of soup or ingredient on the floor.

Naruto was trying to burp his ABCs a while later after they left the oden shop when they spotted a familiar duck butt head.

"Hey Sa-" Naruto was silenced by his sister's hand to his mouth.

"Sssh!" Kagome said. She took a deep breath and cupped her hands around her own mouth. "Kyaa! Sasuke-kuuuun!" She squealed loudly, doing a very good imitation of a crazy Sasuke stalker. Naruto busted out laughing when Sasuke turned around to confront the would-be fangirl, looking like a trapped doe ready to bolt at the soonest possible second.

Sasuke didn't look amused when he caught up to them. "You know I hate it when you do that," he glared at a very amused Kagome.

"But it's really fun to do," Kagome grinned at him.

"Yeah it is," Naruto agreed.

Sasuke bopped him on the head to shut him up.

"Where's Itachi?"

Kagome and Naruto didn't catch the sour look that ghosted Sasuke's face. "He's out on a mission."

"Do you know when he'll be back?"

Sasuke shrugged indifferently. Itachi, Itachi, Itachi. All everybody wanted to talk about was Itachi! He was tired of living behind his niisan's shadow.

"I learned a new technique from Mushin-sama... I was hoping to show it to him... Stop it Naruto!"

Naruto dodged the hands that swiped towards him and continued making gagging sounds. "Don't show that jutsu to anyone, especially Itachi. It'll make him ill."

"What jutsu?" Sasuke asked in between Kagome's attempts to choke Naruto.

"Kagome-san!" an eager youth jogged up to them before she could answer.

"Hojo-kun!" Kagome smiled pleasantly at the boy. He liked to give her really weird gifts for some unknown reason... and predictably, a package was swiftly thrust in her face.

"What is it?" Naruto peered at it warily. Tousan warned him about keeping this Hojo weirdo away from his sister.

"My father just returned from his business trip and he brought home a lot of this herbal black tea," Hojo explained. "Your father said you were feeling under the weather again, Kagome-san. He said your weak constitution makes it hard for you to get up during the weekends."

Sasuke raised a brow at the boy. Was he serious? Kagome was one of the healthiest people he knew. Never been sick except that time she got hospitalized when they were little, as far as he was concerned.

Naruto managed to keep his face straight because he knew their dad wouldn't like it if Hojo found out he'd been lied to. Father just didn't want any additional boys hanging around his sister, not even someone as harmless-looking as Hojo. Ero sennin was constantly tormenting him about it and Kakashi didn't help by taking bets from Miroku either.

"It has healing properties and is good for your health, Kagome-san." Kagome accepted the package and thanked him, silently promising a painful punishment for their liar of a father. Mushin and Miroku's weekly training sessions were never made clear to anyone who wasn't a close personal friend of the family or had a high enough security clearance. The full implications of what a miko was and the uniqueness of her powers were explained to her and her brother when they were old enough to understand what that meant. No one was to know about her uncommon abilities as long as they could help it. They knew she would have to be exposed sometime in the future but they were determined to keep it under wraps for as long as they could...

But did he really have to make unbelievable excuses in her behalf? Couldn't their dad at least think of some other excuse for her unexplained 'mysterious disappearances' i.e. special training sessions with the monks?

"- and after you just got over that case of cholera recently, too! You really should take care of yourself." Hojo continued, oblivious to the silent sniggers of Naruto, reluctant amusement of Sasuke and increasing annoyance of Kagome. "If only Tsunade-sama was still here. I'm sure she'll be able to pinpoint what the cause of your weak immune system is, maybe recommend what healing herbs you should be taking. I heard someone spotted her at -"

"Look Hojo," Naruto pointed at something behind the boy, "a distraction!"

Hojo looked confused when he turned around to see what Naruto was pointing at. "What?"

"Go find it!" Naruto encouraged then grabbed his sister and his friend's arms, dragging them away from the perplexed boy. Kagome allowed herself to be dragged away, relieved of her brother's intervention. Sasuke had a slight smirk on his face as he allowed the dobe to place his hand upon his person. "See ya!"

Kagome laughed when they were out of sight. "I can't believe he fell for that!"

"I've met toast smarter than him. He's a bigger idiot than Naruto," Sasuke snorted.

"Hey!"

His sister smiled at him, beaming brighter than the sun. "Thanks for the save, Naru!" Gave him a hug.

"He was getting on my nerves," the blond admitted. "He's always sniffing around the house and giving you strange presents. Dad's this close," he brought his thumb and pointer finger within a quarter inch of the other "of telling him he's banned from dropping by anymore."

"You should get a restraining order," Sasuke suggested.

"Hojo-kun's a nice guy," Kagome winced when her companions gave her looks of disbelief. "Really he is. He's just... too eager... too gullible and too... bubbly for a guy. I can't believe he thinks everything that papa tells him about my so-called 'diseases' are true." She shook her head. "And he keeps giving me presents," she repeated with a bigger wince this time. It made her feel uncomfortable for some reason.

"It's Sasuke's fault." Naruto said with certainty.

"What!"

"Well you kept giving Kagome all those little things and trinkets before and I'm certain Hojo started copying you." He pointed accusingly at his friend, "So this is entirely your fault! You should feel bad for being the cause of Kagome's suffering."

Sasuke rolled his eyes at Naruto's dramatics. "This is_ not_ my fault."

"Yeah it is!" Kagome surprised the boys with her agreement. "And to make up for it, you have to treat us to some dango!"

"But we just ate some of your disgusting oden, Miss Piggy!" Naruto said and then thought about it before adding "We should go to Ichiraku's instead!"

"Don't call me that and that's why we're getting dango for dessert, silly!"

When it looked like neither one was going to give over, they both looked to Sasuke for a tie breaker.

He shrugged, "The dango stand is nearer."

Naruto looked at him unbelievingly. "But Ichiraku's is just around the -"

"Yay!" Kagome pumped her fists in the air in celebration. "I win! Yosh! Delicious and _free_ dango here we come!" Naruto and Sasuke let her lead the way, watching her skip towards the dango stand in amusement.

"Traitor," Naruto accused his friend, eyes playfully narrowing at Sasuke's betrayal.

The Uchiha merely smirked back at him.

In retaliation, even though Naruto wasn't entirely sold on the dango idea, he made sure to eat as many as he could, just to spite Sasuke. "Do you think we'll be assigned to the same team?" he asked in between dango bites.

"I hope so," Kagome answered while Sasuke shrugged.

"If we're not, what are you gonna do about it?"

He received an elbow jab for that one, "Don't provoke him," and a glare.

Naruto grinned as mischievously as anyone with a mouth full of dango could. "Is that a dare, Sasuke?"

"No!" Kagome shook her head and arms, "He's not daring you!" She glared at Sasuke, "You remember the last time someone dared him, right?" Narrowed her eyes, "He got into a whole lot of trouble and he just finished getting grounded." Turning to Naruto she asked, "You don't want to get grounded for _months_ again, do you?"

Naruto considered the possibility. "I dunno, the reward for last time's dare was pretty neat."

She didn't look pleased.

"Oh come on! You gotta admit 'tousan wouldn't have allowed us to learn the kage bunshin until we're chuunin," Kagome gave him a look, "okay, _jounin_ level. And I _sooo_ loved the look on Kiba's face when I showed up the next Monday to show him that cool trick. You know as well as I that 'tousan's secretly impressed that I'm able to do that jutsu," he grinned confidently. "He just grounded me on principle because he's the dad and I'm the son... Hey, are you going to eat that?" He snatched the last stick from the plate and ate all the dangos on it in one bite.

"Ah! Naru!!! I was going to eat that! Mou!"

"Fworry."

"Don't talk with your mouth full, dobe."

"Are you going to eat that?" Kagome asked, pointing at Sasuke's plate where his one and only dango stick sat. He wasn't into sweet things but he ate one obligatory piece so as not to appear rude when his friends were eating.

He shook his head and Kagome slapped Naruto's hand away from her prize. He tried not to think about how they were sharing an indirect kiss because she was eating what essentially were his leftovers.

After they left the dango shop, Kagome kept giving Sasuke looks that made him feel uncomfortable. When he couldn't stand it any longer, he met her gaze full on and asked "What?" with a gruff voice.

"Have you been getting enough sleep lately, Sasuke?" Her question surprised him. "Had enough to eat? Is anything stressing you out? You know you can come to me for anything, right?"

"Uh..." Her questions were very puzzling, as always. "Yes?"

While Naruto was distracted by a nearby barbeque stand, Kagome rounded in on Sasuke, looking into his eyes concernedly. "If you need someone to talk to, I'll listen to anything you have to say, anytime. If you don't feel comfortable talking to me about it, you could go talk to Naru."

He meant to snort and roll his eyes at the suggestion of him going to Naruto for serious advice but the blue eyes peering through him and into his soul made him look like a trapped deer in the headlights. Stepping back was a good idea - it would've given him a safe buffer of decent space between them – but she didn't allow him the breathing room. Every time he took a step back, she took two steps forward, looking him square in the eyes until he bumped his back on a nearby wall.

He was trapped, they both knew it, and as silly as the situation to him was – with him towering over her by a good head or more – he couldn't help but swallow nervously. "W-what are you doing?" He mentally winced at his Hinata impression. Soft fingers reached out to brush the stray bangs blocking his eyes and his gaze was drawn to her pink lips. It didn't help the beating heart in his throat when her fingers started drawing circles on his face, on the patch of skin surrounding his eyes.

She was frowning, displeased about what she was seeing. He was trying hard not to shudder from her comforting touch.

"You should be careful," Sasuke noticed how she bit her lip – it was the version she did whenever something was bothering her. "And try not to go anywhere a lot. In fact, why don't you start spending more time at home? Yeah, that'd be the best thing to do – if you don't go out then you don't... Naru and I will visit you everyday! You don't have to come out of your house at all!"

With hooded eyes, he could see her lips moving but he wasn't really hearing the words that were coming out of her mouth. What the heck was she talking about? If he leaned just a little bit forward, their lips would meet and –

"What are you doing?"

The slowly pronounced question caused Kagome to turn her head so fast, her hair whipped Sasuke across the face, popping his little personal bubble. It took him a moment for his world refocused to include everybody else again, and not just he and Kagome, her delighted squeal of "Itachi!" snapped him out of his little haze.

"I was just telling Sasuke not to go out if he doesn't really need to," she was talking to Itachi, giving him her usual undivided attention that never failed to grate on his nerves. "I think that's the best thing for him to do right now." She bobbed her head at him gravely.

Her face held that light glow whenever she was around his brother. Why was that? It never failed to irritate him when they were younger and the only thing preventing him from reverting back to his 'meanie phase' as she liked to call it, was the scolding he was sure to receive from his father once he did.

Itachi nodded in understanding but said "He couldn't do that though, you know that right? He has to get out of the house. You're all graduating soon and his genin missions will require him going to lots of places in and outside the village."

His niisan still carried his sword, Sasuke noticed, although he was wearing an Uchiha shirt and not the sleeveless standard ANBU one.

"Niisan I thought you were going to be gone for a few days more?"

He received a poke in the forehead, "The mission was accomplished earlier than anticipated so we hurried home."

"Cool! Does that mean you'll be here when we get our genin teams?"

Itachi shrugged. "I'm not sure but I hope so."

"Because papa promised we'd celebrate and eat outside. You'll come with us, won't you?"

"If I have no missions," he promised.

Naruto came back then, carrying several sticks of meat, giving one to his sister and offering the others to the brothers. "Hey Itachi! Finish your mission early huh?" Itachi nodded at him and refused the food. Sasuke did the same with the grumpy look back in his face.

"You're not hungry, Itachi?" Kagome held her stick up to him, offering him a taste. He easily obliged by bending to take a bite from it but before anything could happen, Sasuke grabbed one of Naruto's extra sticks and almost shoved it in his niisan's face, surprising them all, most especially himself.

_Uh... _his brain frantically thought, "Here you go, niisan!"

Itachi blinked at him carefully. "Thank you, Sasuke." He said after a while.

"Mou Sasuke, I could've just shared mine with him."

He shrugged as nonchalantly as he could; sheer force of will alone prevented him from looking like his favorite fruit.

"Don't you need to go to the hospital first, Itachi?"

"I just came from there and the medic gave me a clean bill of health," he replied. The mission was easy; he didn't even have a single scratch on him.

"Do you think we'll have cool missions when we graduate?"

Itachi shrugged. He didn't have a genin team and didn't plan on getting a team in his entire career as a ninja. He wasn't exactly a people person and he doubted he could be trusted with the safety of strange kids he didn't give a fig about. He took a small bite off the barbeque and handed it back to his brother.

Sasuke forced himself to eat whatever was left from his niisan's stick, unwilling to let anyone else share the indirect kiss. Naruto finished his last one, hunger finally sated until dinner.

"I hope they group us in the same team. Papa won't tell us _anything_." Itachi listened to her complaints patiently. "Why is there only one girl per team, Tachi?"

"It might be because there aren't as many female ninjas and most females are taught medic skills. Each team only requires one medic since they're precious."

"I want to be on the same team as Hinata so bad!" Kagome wailed.

Itachi patted her on the head in comfort and as her conversation with Itachi continued, something finally dawned upon Naruto as he stared at his best friend.

ღ

"Gome?" Naruto was sitting on a stool in their bathroom with his sister behind him, scrubbing his back. Father was going to be home late today, with the impending academy graduation looming on the horizon to add to his mountainous amounts of paperwork.

"Hm?" Nimble hands didn't stop rubbing the washcloth back and forth.

He debated asking her the question for a quick second, finally deciding to go for it. "Do you like Sasuke?"

The scrubbing didn't stop or lose any momentum. Her reply was fast, sincere. "Of course!"

Naruto winced, wishing he knew how to articulate himself more. The awkwardness he felt stemmed from his imaginings of how his friend would react if he found out he poked his nose into this and not from the though of his sister liking anyone. "No. I mean... what I meant is... well, I was wondering if you _like_ him like Sakura-chan does," he knew he sounded a little sullen when he said 'Sakura-chan', but he couldn't help it. The only girl he had ever liked had her eyes set on his friend. He had the worst luck in girls.

Kagome frowned, guessing where this was going. "You're still not over your crush with Sakura-chan?" She liked the girl but she was more loyal to her best friend. Hinata was the best girl in the whole world, in her opinion. "She's a member of Sasuke's fanclub. You should consider your options elsewhere." Naruto noticed that the scrubbing was a bit harder now, "Sakura-chan is a great girl but there are plenty of other better fish in the sea. I don't think she's the one for you."

"Errr..." He winced from the pressure exerted on his back but wisely kept his mouth shut because he could tell she was upset. She always got a little touchy whenever the subject of his crush on Sakura came up. Father said it was probably because she was used to being the number one girl in his life and the thought of him having a crush on Sakura made her feel like that position was threatened.

That was silly because if he were to choose between his sister and his Sakura-chan, of course he was going to pick Kagome. It was a no-brainer. Sakura was pretty and everything, but Kagome was family. He will admit to having his crush dampened because of it. If the person closest to him didn't approve of Sakura, then something was probably wrong with her.

His heart used to go all aflutter whenever the pink-haired girl was around, but now... well, now it didn't and the only reason Sakura was known to be his crush was out of habit. Not bothering to correct people when they assumed he harbored feelings for the girl was easier than explaining things he had no knowledge of. He didn't really understand how crushes and love worked so he didn't bother with it. There were more important things to him now, like surpassing his father and becoming the best Hokage in the history of Konoha.

"I don't have anything against her, she's a great girl," Kagome continued, "but I just don't think she's the one for you."

_Hinata is! Hinata is! Hinata is! _She silently commanded, drilling those thoughts into the back of his blond head. It would be awesomely awesome if Hinata became her real sister in the future, and her only hope was her baka brother.

Naruto sighed, "To be honest, I don't really have a crush on Sakura-chan anymore. I just don't correct people when they assume I still do because it's a hassle."

She clutched his shoulders excitedly. "Really!?!!!" Shook him repeatedly out of happiness.

Naruto could swear he could hear his brain rattle from the force of her excitement. "Ow, ow, ow, ow. Yes, really."

"That's great, Naru!!!"

His ears hurt from the squeal that reverberated in their bathroom, bouncing off the tiles over and over again.

ღ

"Pssst! Hinata!"

Hinata looked around for the whispered voice calling out her name but got pulled into a dark corner before she could find out who it was. She squeaked and attempted to scream but a hand quickly covered her mouth.

"Sssh! It's just me, Naruto!"

He retracted his hand to allow her to speak and Hinata clutched her heart nervously, feeling a little faint.

"Gyah! No, no! Don't pass out on me!" He whispered frantically and reached for the smelling salts he remembered to take with him. His sister's best friend had an odd habit of fainting on him whenever he got too close to her. Weird girl.

Hinata tried valiantly to do as she was told. What did Naruto-kun want with her?

"Er, Hinata. I want to ask you something but you have to promise me that you won't tell anyone about it. Not even Kagome, okay?"

Hinata's eyes widened. "W-why can't I t-tell Kagome-chan?"

"Because I don't think she knows and he might kill me if he found out I stuck my nose in his business," Naruto answered wryly.

"He? W-who's he?"

Hinata could feel the blood rushing to her face when Naruto turned his full gaze to her. "You have to promise to keep this just between the two of us first. Not even Kagome or Hanabi or anyone else could know."

"I promise, Naruto-kun." She responded to the grave importance in his voice.

He smiled at her, pleased. "Okay, I trust you. Now I need to know if you know who Kagome likes," he glanced around the empty corridor, paranoid of someone overhearing their conversation.

"W-why don't you ask her yourself, Naruto-kun?" Hinata frowned at him. "I don't think it's my place to tell you whom she likes. You should ask her, I don't think she'll keep anything from you."

"I know that," Naruto smiled at her reassuringly. "I _tried_ to last night but the conversation sort of spiraled out of control and I don't want a repeat of the awkwardness anytime soon. And besides," he made a disgusted face "it kind of makes me nauseous to think that my sister _likes_ someone, you know? I still get nightmares from Kakashi's 'birds and the bees' talk."

Hinata didn't laugh at him, she understood. "Well, I'm sure she wouldn't mind if I told you and I think everybody knows about it already... you'd only have to observe the way she acts when she's around him and you'll figure it out for yourself..."

Naruto looked sad that he didn't have a clue to what she was talking about.

"B-but it's not a bad thing that you d-don't know, Naruto-kun!" she hurried to smooth out whatever feelings she stepped on. She wasn't implying that he was slow or anything... he was just too innocent to notice these kinds of things... "Boys are very different from girls and -" She cleared her throat. "She likes Itachi-san."

Naruto's eyes bugged out in surprise. "Wait... what!? She likes _Itachi_??? I thought that..." he thought back to all the moments in their childhood and realized he was probably the slowest person on Konoha. "I thought she just admired him like I do," he added lamely.

Hinata gave him a sympathetic look.

"Yeah..." distressed hands ran through his blond hair "So that's a little complicated... Sasuke likes her and she likes his brother... oh man... I never realized -"

"Sasuke-kun likes her?" Hinata asked, startled. That was new news to her.

"- she liked Itachi. Wha? Yeah, I only guessed yesterday. You won't tell her though, right?" Blue eyes narrowed suspiciously, "Because you promised!"

She shook her head and assured him, "I won't tell her, I promise!"

"Good," he nodded. "I don't think he wants me to know though, since he broke one of the most sacred rules of friendship. That's why I have to be incognito in finding out." He tapped his chin thoughtfully. "I thought I could act as a bridge for him but... Itachi? Hmmm..."

Hinata blinked at him in confusion. "Sacred rules of friendship?" Why didn't someone tell her there were rules to friendship? Does Kagome know about these guidelines? "What rule did he break?"

Naruto grinned, more than happy to explain it to her. He raised his pointer finger authoritatively. "Thou shall not fall in love with thy best friend's sister."

ღ

"Akamaru?" Kiba look a little lost as he looked over and under every chair in the classroom. The official Uchiha Sasuke Fan Club was actively talking amongst themselves on one corner of the classroom and he noticed the absence of Akamaru there too. He was worried. Akamaru and he were almost inseparable, like two peas in a pod... peanut butter and jelly... Choji and food... Naruto and ramen... "Hey Shikamaru have you seen Akamaru anywhere?"

The Nara genius opened one eye lazily from his laid back position on his desk. "If he's not with you, he's probably with Kagome."

Kiba mentally kicked himself for not thinking of that sooner. "I saw Naruto talking to Hinata just a while ago but I didn't see her with them. Do you know where Kagome is?"

"Behind you!" The girl in question surprised him from behind. "Hiya Kiba-kun, I was just taking Akamaru here for a walk," she grinned at him while petting a very content puppy in her arms.

He snatched his dog away and tried his best to give her a glare. "I wish you'd stop kidnapping him," his reprimand rolled off her shoulders like it was nothing.

"You know how he gets worried when he can't find his dog," Shikamaru added behind a small yawn. Choji sat beside him, bored to tears. He wished their sensei would hurry up already so he can go to that newly opened barbeque stand near the academy. Naruto told him the food was good and he wanted to try it out.

"Don't worry Akamaru," Kiba said to his dog, "Once we don't get assigned to the same team as her, she won't have as many opportunities to kidnap you anymore." Akamaru didn't look too happy with his owner's statement, halting his wagging tail.

"You can't kidnap the willing, Kiba-kun." Kagome sing-songed. She gifted the dog with one last tweak to the nose before she took her seat.

The classroom door opened as their teacher emerged carrying the list of the assigned genin teams. The students who were loitering outside came in with him and resumed their seats. Kagome sat between Naruto and Sasuke while Hinata sat on the next row behind her with Kiba and Shino as seatmates.

Iruka performed the last attendance roll call and got down to business, giving them a speech about what was expected of them after they graduated academy. He was both sad and relieved at the same time, now that the twins were finally graduating.

Let the outside world know what he's been through these past few years, teaching them.

The new genins eagerly waited to hear what team they were going to belong to, hardly containing their mixed reactions when their names were called. All the members of Sasuke's fanclub prayed to be in the same team as their idol but one by one their hopes were dashed.

Shikamaru could swear he could feel algae growing on him by the time Iruka-sensei finished shuffling Team Six's members together into one row. Choji could almost smell his future barbeque meal as he got lost in a food fantasy daydream. Ino and Sakura were slowly growing more confident they'd be in the same team as their Sasuke-kun as their instructor dashed all the other girls' hopes one by one. Hinata and Shino patiently waited for their names to be called, the only difference between them was that Hinata was nervously wringing her hands together... and Sasuke just looked bored. It didn't really matter to him who his team members were because he was ultimately doomed to spend time with a girl.

"Team seven will be…" Iruka paused for dramatic effect, "Uzumaki Naruto."

Kagome and Naruto were holding hands and holding their breaths, chanting "Let us be in the same team, let us be in the same team, let us be in the same team," over and over again.

"Uzumaki Kagome," their sensei continued, earning a cry of relief and a happy "yes!" from the twins. The Chuunin couldn't help but smile, knowing that their father had kept the team assignments a secret from them. "And last but not the least... Uchiha Sasuke!"

"Yay!" Kagome cheered, throwing her hands in the air and hugging her new team mates real fast. The looks she received differed. Most of Sasuke's fangirls glared at her for that, they knew the Yondaime's 'sickly' daughter was childhood friends with their idol; a lot of them threw jealous looks her way, some were even nasty. They would give anything to be in her shoes. Some people just had all the luck.

Naruto didn't pass up the opportunity to aggravate his best friend. "Boo! Boo! I want a recount Iruka-sensei! Are you sure you read that right? Sasuke-temee is only going to slow us down." Sasuke gave him the patented Uchiha glare of slow and painful death and then glared some more when Kagome laughed at his expense. "It's bad enough that I have to be partnered with a girl and my sister at that-" Whatever he was going to say next left unspoken because his sister's elbow collided with his head. Painfully.

"Sensei! Kagome's being mean to me again!" Naruto whined, rubbing his new bump.

Sasuke rolled his eyes in annoyance at Naruto's antics but a corner of his mouth quirked ever so slightly, amused at the way Naruto was getting a minor beating. Naruto could push Kagome's buttons with the slightest effort and while he enjoyed seeing the idiot getting it, Inner Sasuke was currently skipping happily in a field of daisies in his head, glad that he wasn't going to be stuck with an irritating fangirl. He will never admit it but he was also glad that he was going to be on the same team as his bestfriend even though he never really acknowledged Naruto to be his bestfriend out loud.

His charcoal eyes glinted dangerously and he almost allowed himself to smile. Almost. He couldn't wait to see the look on the Hyuuga's face when he finds out who his teammates were. Maybe he should bring a camera to capture the moment.

"Naruto, you're too noisy!" Their sensei scolded and continued reading out the assigned teams.

Team Eight had Inuzuka Kiba, Hyuuga Hinata and Aburame Shino in it. Kagome groaned, turned to the girl sitting behind her and asked if she wanted to trade teams. The Hyuuga heiress blushed and stole glances at Naruto as she stammered her reply. Kiba laughed and praised Kagome's obvious good tastes in men and ninja, drawing Sasuke's sharp glare and Naruto's arrogant snort.

"You wish, Dog Boy! You just keep telling yourself that," he said and made a face at his friend. "It has absolutely nothing to do with _you_. Kagome's just saying that because she loves Akamaru."

Which was true.

Kagome loved dogs and often 'borrowed' Akamaru away from Kiba, much to the amusement and distress of the boy from the Inuzuka clan. Ninja dogs were taught to be obedient to their shinobi partners and Akamaru was as loyal as they came... except when Kagome got in the way.

Kiba liked the Uzumaki girl. He didn't like-_like_ her, she was just one of his very few female friends. Not that she was unattractive or anything, of course; she was way cooler to hang out with than Naruto, who was a loud mouth. He just wasn't attracted to her in _that_ way and he felt it safer to be a platonic friend instead of something else. If Sasuke's glares that could cut through solid steel or Neji's frigid stares that could freeze boiling lava weren't deterrent enough, anyone who thought about pursuing Kagome had to contend with an overprotective brother and an even more overprotective father who was also a Hokage. And if, by some tremendously huge act of God, that anyone managed to survive the Uzumaki males, a certain ANBU captain and clan prodigy who can make grown men wet their pants with just a single glance would send you running to the hills. Or to your grave, if you pissed him off enough.

No, the girl was mostly off-limits for any romance but it certainly didn't hurt to be her friend.

"Well, it could just be because I want Shino-kun on my team because I like him." Kagome's definition of like was never to be taken out of context. She liked everyone and she didn't like-_like_ anyone.

"Shino is creepy," Naruto eyed the bug boy who was sitting behind him wearily. He could never get used to the guy.

Shino didn't respond to his insult but Kagome gave him a couple more bumps in the head. "No he's not! He's a very good listener and you should do well to learn from him!"

The truth was that Shino didn't really know what to say whenever Kagome talked to him. Or anyone for that matter, but Kagome was more confusing than most people. Whenever she approached him to 'talk' about 'stuff', he would just sit there and nod at the appropriate times. The pauses in between the girl inhaled after a long time of favoring talking instead of breathing seemed sufficient enough. That guaranteed his exemption from head punches and kicks to the shin that looked painful, if he were to judge from the reaction of the recipients of her manifested temper. His perfect tree imitation technique, dark glasses and high jacket collar provided the perfect cover for the look of confusion that he was certain he often wore whenever Kagome talked about 'things' with him. Girls spoke another language and he wasn't fluent in girl-speak.

Team Nine consisted of Sai, Sakura and Hojo. Sakura was sad that she wasn't on the same team as her Sasuke-kun, but Sai, who looked just like Sasuke if you made his hair stand on one end he was a good enough consolation prize for her. For now.

Sai wasn't Kagome's favorite person, but she didn't necessarily hate him. She just didn't like the way he treated her brother. He called Naruto names she didn't like and she wasn't fond of how he would trade insults with her brother. Sure Sasuke liked to call Naruto 'idiot' or 'dead last' and would often irk the blond kid so much to the point of a physical brawl, but what they had was different from what Naruto had with Sai.

Naruto and Sasuke grew up together. Sasuke is Naruto's bestfriend; they're as good as brothers so they're allowed to manhandle each other like Kagome manhandled them.

Neji also liked to engage Naruto in fights, verbal and physical, but Neji was almost their family. Almost-families automatically had free passes.

People like Shikamaru weren't under the bestfriend or almost-family categories, but he was their friend and long-time classmate. Maybe it was just Kagome's childish nature but she felt something off from the boy. It was as if he didn't have any emotions. Nobody really knew much about Sai, except that he started attending academy with them a year ago. He was a brilliant ninja but something just didn't feel right to Kagome.

He wasn't evil, no, she couldn't say that about him, but there was just _something_.

Not knowing what that something was irked her more than anything.

Team Ten was formed by Shikamaru, Ino and Chouji.

"You'll be meeting with your new jounin instructors in a few minutes. Wait inside the classroom and try to look and behave your best. It's been my pleasure teaching all of you throughout the years and I wish you luck on the path that you have chosen." Iruka dismissed the class.

"I wonder who our teacher will be," Naruto bounced on his seat in anticipation.

Sarutobi Asuma was first to arrive, taking team ten with him. Ino waved a giggly goodbye to Sasuke which he ignored.

Yuhi Kurenai came next for team eight.

"Good luck, Hinata!" Kagome yelled in encouragement. The shy girl waved at her bestfriend and the new team eight left the classroom.

One jounin arrived after another and soon only the genins of team seven remained. The once excited and hyperactive Naruto was now draped on his desk wearily, promising pain and torture to the very late ninja who was to be their teacher.

"Maybe our sensei forgot about us," Kagome bit her bottom lip thoughtfully. Why was their jounin instructor so late? A sleepy yawn escaped her lips, hidden behind a small hand. She leaned back and closed her eyes, wishing she brought a pillow with her.

"He's late!" Naruto complained, frowning. He got up and took the used eraser from the blackboard and rigged it into a trap on the door. "This will teach him!" He grinned evilly.

"That will never work on a jounin, dobe!" Sasuke rolled his eyes and tried his hardest not to blush. Kagome might not feel anything when she did it, but his whole body warmed up whenever she used him as her very own human pillow. It was both a blessing and a curse for him that the girl still had the mentality she did back when they were little children and found it perfectly normal to cuddle with him just like she did with her father and brother.

"Yeah Naruto, that prank is _so_ juvenile. Didn't your father teach you better than that?"

"Kashi!"

"Kakashi."

"What are _you_ doing here?" Naruto asked.

The jounin with one eye hidden behind his forehead protector shook his head in disappointment. "Did you have to take all the brains in the family, Gome-chan? Hmmm... maybe all those traumas to the head killed what little brain cells he had," the jounin nodded to himself.

"What are you doing here?" Naruto repeated his question.

Kakashi gave him a withering look. "Isn't it obvious?"

"He's going to be our jounin instructor, dobe."

"WHAT!!!" Naruto blew up.

"That means I should call you Kashi-sensei now," Kagome clapped her hands happily. The charm bracelet she received from Hinata on her eighth birthday jingled on her arm, charms tinkling against each other. There were more than just two charms on her bracelet now; her friends and family contributed to it one by one throughout the years.

The cute puppy charm was a gift from her father, the fox from Naruto, the Konoha emblem from Tsunade, the frog from Jiraiya, the heart from Miroku (which earned him lots of glares and silent threats of death), the book (which looked like a miniature of an Icha Icha Paradise novel) from Kakashi, the flower from Hanabi, the fang from Kiba, the embossed leaf from Konohamaru, the butterfly from Shino (he was planning to give her a beetle but changed it to a more 'girly' shape at the last moment), the kanji for her name from Sasuke, the key from Neji, and the Uchiha fan from Itachi.

"Ka_ka_shi-sensei has a nice ring to it."

"Yeah but it doesn't sound as cute as Kashi-sensei," the girl argued.

Kakashi didn't have the heart to tell her, because it would've been useless anyway (he knew from past experiences), that a grown man and a feared jounin like him didn't need to be _cute_.

"This is so unfair!" Naruto pulled on his hair in frustration. "Out of all the jounins in Konoha, why did they have to assign you to us? Why?"

Kakashi merely smiled at him. He was already planning on ways to torture Naruto as payback for all the hard times he had to go through babysitting the boy. "Yoroshiku ne, Naruto."

"But this is great, Naruto. Kashi-sensei is one of the best jounin in Konoha, papa says so, and we already know him so we're going to have fun in our missions." When her twin didn't look convinced she added, "Just imagine if we had Gai-sensei as our team leader."

All the males in the room shuddered involuntarily. Kakashi from reflex; the boys from remembering Neji's trauma when he told them that the green spandex-wearing, mortal enemy of the fashion police, super duper shiny-teethed, self-proclaimed Kakashi rival and official spokesperson for the benefits of youth was his team's instructor. The Hyuuga looked like the he needed therapy. Lots and lots of it.

"This is normally the part where I tell the team to meet me at the rooftop to initiate the introductions but I think we can skip that part. Why don't we go around the room and list our likes, dislikes and dreams for the future instead?"

"Boooring!" Naruto booed. "We already know all those. _You_ already know all those! What do we need to do that for?"

"Naruto," Kagome narrowed her eyes at him disapprovingly.

"But it's true!" Naruto didn't want to get another beating so he hurriedly explained. "You like dogs, chocolate, oden, reading those old musty scrolls you borrow from old man Mushin, shopping," he wrinkled his nose before pausing then scrutinized her attire that was made from the same cloth and had the same spiral clan symbol on his back, and gagged, "the color pink, all those girly jutsus you have," he continued counting. "You like _everything_ except spiders!"

Kagome crossed her arms "I do _not_!" and huffed.

"You're easy to read and we all know you, Gome."

She felt ganged up on when even Kakashi and Sasuke were nodding their heads. "I dislike lots of other things too!"

"Name one aside from spiders," Naruto challenged.

Kagome's forehead wrinkled in thought. "Ummm…"

"Ha!"

"Shut up Naru, I can remember one! Oh! Oh! I know! Math!! Math!!! I _hate_ math!" She stuck her tongue out childishly at him. "Double ha!"

"Well duh, who doesn't? That still doesn't prove we don't know each other's likes and dislikes. I already know Kakashi -"

"_Sensei_, he's our sensei now Naruto."

"Oh fine! I already know Kakashi-sensei loves that perverted book of his," he shuddered from repressed memories; the one where his father _abandoned _him to the evil clutches of Kakashi and the man had given him a very, _very_ detailed instruction of the birds and the bees – complete with scandalous illustrations – with the help of that orange book. "And he loves being late," Naruto deadpanned.

"What about Sasuke's likes and dislikes?" Kakashi asked.

Naruto grinned evilly. "You wanna know who Sasuke likes?"

Sasuke glared at him. "Shut up dobe, I don't like anyone."

"You like your brother..."

Silence from Sasuke since Naruto was right.

"... your mother... your father..."

"Shut up, dobe."

"... me..."

"Yeah right," he snorted. "_Shut_ **up**, dobe."

"... my si– ow you bastard tomato boy, that's my knee you're kicking!"

"I can speak for myself."

"Nya wa wa nye wa nya," Naruto mocked him.

"If you don't shut up usuratonkachi, I'll aim a little higher." Sasuke's death glare was menacing.

"Alright," Kakashi stepped in before things escalated further. Naruto was already doing his patented 'annoy Sasuke dance' and the Uchiha was predictably falling for it. "Our first team activity will be tomorrow. Meet me at Practice Area 3 at sunrise and don't eat any breakfast." The kids blanched when he told them they'd likely regurgitate any food they ate for breakfast and told him he was gross.

Naruto, forgetting that there was a blackboard eraser wedged between the classroom door and the door frame, fell to his own prank when they exited the classroom.

"Ah! Damn it! Who's the clown who placed that eraser there?!" He desperately patted the icky chalk dust away from his hair.

Kagome and Kakashi laughed at him while Sasuke shook his head, "Baka."

ღ

The next day, somewhere a ninja duck was not, Arashi waited nervously while pacing a path on the floor.

How long has it been since their test started? It was past lunchtime, Kakashi should be done testing them by now... shouldn't he? He was confident his babies would pass their tests before, but the lateness of the hour was making the nervous butterflies in his stomach want to puke.

He had been in his best behavior until now; he even avoided the questions the two bombarded him last night and told them to do what Kakashi instructed. Of course he knew what the copy-nin's objectives were; he was the one who taught him after all... not realizing at that time that his student would be the future teacher of his children. Life really does come at you fast. It seemed like it was just yesterday when Kakashi was but a cocky punk with an attitude... and now he's out there, judging the twins if they were worthy to be ninjas or not.

Iruka quit watching his Hokage a long time ago, the man walking around in circles made him dizzy. It was useless to tell the Yondaime to relax since the man was too worried to hear anything at the moment. There was just no reasoning with a worried mother... er... _father_-hen. _He_ was worried about the children too, especially when their sensei was The Hatake Kakashi who was known for not passing _anyone_. Iruka was torn between worrying for his students and worrying for his sanity; if Team 7 failed, he wouldn't survive teaching the twins for another year. The queasy feeling in his stomach wasn't solely caused by their potential failure of the jounin's test though, oh no, that wasn't the only reason.

The whole bloody family was out for his blood, he was sure of it. It was their goal to make a sport out of making his life as difficult as possible. The one to cause him the greatest discomfort was the winner. So far Naruto was leading by a mile, followed closely by his father. He should be a little thankful that Kagome was at least considerate enough not to give him constant headaches like her brother does but Kagome's unofficial bodyguards more than made up for whatever stress she didn't give him.

He couldn't calculate the exact amount of years shaved off his life due to having unanticipated visits from certain prodigies. It was one thing to have an academy student with sharp Byakugan eyes to scrutinize you. It was another to have twin Sharingan stare you down in a dark school hallway... with no students or staff around to bear witness if you got murdered.

Not that he believed Itachi-kun would murder him, of course... he hoped... it was just really intimidating, unnerving, unsettling and yes, he was nervous around the kid, okay? Is that what you wanted him to say? Because he would admit it... not to any of the other ninjas of course, because he didn't want to look like a coward or appear weak, but hey - who _wasn't_ nervous around the Uchiha prodigy?

Anyway, forever came and went until Kakashi finally made his appearance. He was the last of the jounins assigned to the new genins to report back to him and the Yondaime.

"You're la-" the accusation died in Arashi's throat as soon as he saw the state Kakashi was in. The accusing finger stopped midway as he stared at his former student.

"What happened to you?" Iruka gaped at the jounin. His hair was unnaturally unruly; some parts of his clothes were singed and the edges of his pants were tattered.

"I was hit by lightning," Kakashi replied sourly. Arashi and Iruka started to laugh but stopped halfway when they saw that he didn't look like he was kidding.

"No, seriously." Why was Kakashi glaring at him? "What?"

"Just like I said," Kakashi said, refusing to repeat his earlier statement while frowning behind his mask. "And I'd rather not talk about it. If you want the details you can ask your hellions," he glared at the Hokage.

Iruka coughed discreetly into his hand.

Allowing the subject to drop, Arashi grinned at him brightly. "So does that mean they passed?"

ღ

Kagome's summoning jutsu is inspired from Final Fantasy which is owned by Square Enix.

**Very important news flash:** In case this story becomes a male harem, **DeathNoteMaker** has agreed to take all the blame. –evil laugh- xþ

All reviews are appreciated. At this point (I'd like to blame Jiraiya) it's turning into an Uchiha Miko Sandwich. The romance will come much later. I need to tackle some... issues first. There might be a delay in the next chapter. My muse is getting lazy. –pokes it- It got teary with Naruto manga's page 14 of issue 339.

**Question:** Does anybody have the lyrics to Nana's Kuroi Namida? I can't find it anywhere and google keeps giving me dead links. :( I'll love you forever if you PM/email/review it for me.


	7. Kiss me Goodbye

**Chapter Seven: Kiss me Goodbye**  
02.21.07

Arashi had never laughed so hard before that he had to hold his stomach to keep the pain away. He sat on one end of the group with Mushin at the other. Biting back his laughs weren't working anymore so he succumbed to them, unable to keep his mirth at bay. He was thankful they were in a private room of a restaurant because a lot of the citizens of Konoha would've probably been scandalized by the behavior of their Yondaime right now, almost rolling in the ground howling with laughter. He wasn't alone though. Beside him, Jiraiya was also laughing his ass off at Kakashi's expense. They've never heard of anyone besting the great copy-nin before.

Naruto greatly enjoyed seeing his father laugh and gladly continued his tale. "So after his genjutsu on Kagome backfires and he recovers from his girlish screams-"

"My screams were not girly!!!"

Sasuke begged to differ, "Yeah they were," much to Kakashi's annoyance.

"- he barely manages to avoid Sasuke's katon." With the help of the salt and pepper shakers, Naruto demonstrated the scene. "Then he makes the mistake of burying Sasuke on the ground while I'm still stuck in the tree trying to escape, making Kagome the last team member standing. She looks like she's on the verge of tears by now because we all believe that if we don't get the bells we fail, right." Naruto took a sip of his tea before continuing, "So she pulls out that frickin' girly jutsu of hers-"

"Hey!" his sister exclaimed, giving him a swift kick under the table. Easy to do since they were sitting from across each other.

"Ow!" he rubbed his aching foot, never losing momentum, "and summons the most disgustingly cute... white animal... thing... blob..." Brows furrowed and hands demonstrated the shape and size of the creature to his audience, salt and pepper flying in all directions "... marshmallow..."

"I named it Ru-chan," Kagome confided to Hinata and Itachi who flanked her on each side.

"Hey!" Naruto returned, scowled, "I honestly haven't seen anything like it in my whole life and it looked like a giant white marshmallow to me," and then shrugged.

"Felt like one too," Sasuke added, shuddering involuntarily while sitting next to Naruto.

"... Marshmallow blob?" Miroku asked Kagome from across Hinata's head.

She shrugged "I was too tired and panicky. I just wanted to summon something and didn't go through the correct steps so I just sort of... concentrated, did the silent chant and there it was!" and grinned at her accomplishment.

"I warned you that not doing the summoning routine will give you random summons," Mushin frowned at her disapprovingly. She could be so careless at times. "If you do not follow all the steps, it turns into roulette and you never know what you're summoning. That is very dangerous!"

"And you taught it to her anyway?" Arashi gaped at the old monk. How could he... no, _how dare him!_

Mushin looked uppity. "She needs to learn all the lost arts of the order. This was just one of the many lower level skills a miko must master. She's not even making shikigami yet," he sniffed snottily, "and we're tackling that soon," proud of the fact that _he_ was the miko's spiritual teacher.

There was a moment of silence from Arashi.

"... Right." He seriously regretted not knowing that Mushin was evil from the get go. The pious monk façade fooled him.

"Anyway!" Naruto got back on track, putting the salt and pepper down. "She summons this thing, right. And we're all like 'What the heck is that?!' Even Kakashi-sensei pauses and gives it a weird look. The marshmallow blob bounces and floats – it can fly! - towards Kagome and she whispers to it but sensei's unafraid of the floating marshmallow blob the size of your head so he just stands there and asks 'Is that all?' like he's disappointed in her performance."

He looked in the direction of his sensei and shook his head in disappointment. "You know you're not supposed to do that in her presence."

"Not cool," Miroku agreed from experience.

"Bad idea," Kakashi didn't appreciate even the snot-nosed brat Konohamaru looking at him with pity while shaking his head.

"Is it ever!" Naruto laughed, "Kagome did another summon and the ugliest green... wart... holding a staff comes out. The little guy starts crying a river wailing 'Kagome-sama! Kagome-sama!' when he sees her and begins thanking her over and over again while kissing the ground. He starts worshipping at her feet then he clings to Gome's leg while continuing his worship and sensei chuckles at the sight, making her angry. The creatures don't look amused either and they start attacking."

"Two times?" Mushin asked in near-hysteria then tsk-ed disappointedly at the miko who lowered her head. "So reckless," he glared at Arashi, putting the blame on the man for raising such a free-spirited daughter. Arashi glared back at him for teaching his daughter dangerous jutsus.

Kakashi sighed and buried his masked face in his palm. He wouldn't be here if it were up to him but the Yondaime made it into an order, citing that he was not only a family friend, he was their sensei as well and that he had every right to celebrate their passing with everybody else. The delicious and expensive restaurant food was just not enough to make the humiliation he was getting worth it. He reached for the wasabi sushi and contemplated shoving it down Naruto's throat. Maybe that would shut him up.

"Gome's taijutsu skills are worse than mine," anticipating a kick from his sister, Naruto jumped out of the way, scooting his chair away from the table but he looked foolish because it never came. "But she looks so silly with this white blob on top of her head and a warty toad on her leg that Kakashi-sensei could barely stop chuckling enough to return her attacks. He grows overconfident until the toad points its staff at him and blasts him with fire."

Kakashi groaned. He just wanted to go home and read the latest Icha-Icha.

"_That'll teach you to mess with Kagome-sama!_ The wart says-"

"He's not a wart, Naruto." Kagome scolded. "He's a kappa."

"But he looked like a giant green wart to me," Naruto argued. "Smelled like it, too." He wrinkled his nose before turning back to his captive audience, "Then the marshmallow makes a fluffy sound in agreement and sensei looks annoyed that a big wart burned parts of his clothes. 'Feel the wrath of my Staff of Heads!' it keeps screaming and blasting sensei with fire. You should've seen it!"

Said sensei tried to look for an escape route unnoticeably but Jiraiya held him in place by placing an arm around his shoulders. The only person not openly laughing at Naruto's tale was Itachi but he looked amused and even though Neji and Sasuke weren't loudly guffawing like the rest of them, they chuckled quietly once in a while.

"So then sensei manages to disarm the toad. He grabs the stick and throws it away. 'Nooo!' the toad screams and runs after it shouting 'You'll pay for this!!!' With the fire-spitting toad gone, sensei reaches for Gome... but the marshmallow bites him."

Kakashi cradled his injured hand carefully. "The thing had teeth like a shark!" he argued in his defense, "And it probably had rabies!"

No one was listening to him.

"Irritated at his lapse in judgment, he stalks Gome purposefully and says 'Kagome-chan, I hope you don't mind but I'm going to have to teach you and your little friend a lesson.' Kagome eeps but stands her ground. She puts up a decent fight for almost a minute... or was that thirty seconds? Oh well, anyway, you know sensei out-classes her, and after a short time, she's finally cornered. Not taking any chances this time, sensei captures the marshmallow first, avoiding his mouth, but the little guy has a surprise for him. Sensei's holding the little dude with both his hands, right." Naruto grinned foxily, mimicking his sensei's stance while waiting for his audience to nod before continuing – "Suddenly the marshmallow zaps sensei with what looked like a thousand bolts -"

"Felt like _ten_ thousand to me," Kakashi grumbled.

He never knew what hit him.

One minute he had victory within his grasp and the next minute he had Naruto grinning over him while he was flat on his back. Kagome was just finishing her first-aid treatment and he could feel Sasuke's smirk even before he saw it.

He groaned in dread. He was never going to live this one down, wasn't he?

"- of lightning." Naruto grinned some more, "_Three_ times. It looked like it hurt. A lot," the grin was threatening to crack his face in two by now. "If he wasn't holding the thing, I don't think the little guy would've had an opportunity to zap him but he had a tight grip on it. So then after three huge bolts sensei passes out." He snickered along with the others. "By this time the wart comes back swearing vengeance but sensei's down for the count so he settles for hitting sensei with his stick instead. 'That'll teach you to mess with the almighty Jaken' he says. He got in several more hits and kicks before Gome pulls the wart off of sensei and sets us free."

"No wonder I had a pounding headache when I woke up," Kakashi glared at Kagome while rubbing the lumps on his head, promising pain on that wart if he ever saw him again.

"It took all four of us to unbury Sasuke," Naruto added before turning to Sasuke: "Teme you should go on a diet. You've been eating one too many tomatoes and digging out of that hole could've been easier if you weren't fat."

"You're mistaking me for Chouji, dobe."

"You let a girl, a marshmallow and a green wart beat you up," Konohamaru was looking at Kakashi in a whole new light, shaking his head.

"That was cheating, Kagome-chan." Kakashi complained, ignoring Konohamaru.

Kagome blew him a disrespectful raspberry. "We won fair and square and you know it."

"With teamwork!" Naruto added.

"No way, that wasn't teamwork. The only teamwork I saw involved Kagome and her minions!" Kakashi thought about it for a moment. "I shouldn't have passed you three." He turned to the Yondaime. "Is it too late to rescind my verdict?"

Team 7 frowned at him.

"It was teamwork!" Naruto insisted once again. "I was cheering Gome on while trying to free myself from the tree," he boasted.

"I was..." Sasuke's brow wrinkled, "... there..."

Kakashi snorted. "You fail!"

Everybody just laughed at the copy-nin.

"You're just sore because they got the best of you."

"By the time he regained conciousness, I was down from the tree, Sasuke was free from the ground and we had our bells. He didn't look injured from the fight but Gome patched him up as best she could anyway."

"The thing had rabies I tell you," Kakashi insisted, hoping to get a little sympathy.

"No way, he was so cute!" Kagome denied.

"Poor Kakashi," Arashi said compassionately then reached out to pat Kagome's head and clap Naruto on the back. "Great work kids! I wish I could've been there to see it!"

"Kagome-sama, you know that you'll have to be punished for such recklessness, do you?" Mushin rained on their parade.

"But old man, we won because of her!" Naruto defended his sister.

"Yeah!" even Hinata found it unfair and came to her defense. "S-she only did what she had to."

Itachi nodded in agreement.

Mushin's forehead which extended all the way to the back of his skull wrinkled. "Okay then, if she promises never to be so reckless again I can overlook it this one time."

"I promise!" Kagome fervently agreed. Three extra hours of meditation for a week was going to kill her of boredom for sure. She'd do anything to get out of it.

"I propose a toast," Arashi raised his cup. "To Team 7 - May you become the best ninjas that you could ever be."

"Kanpai!" Everyone lifted their drinks in agreement. Non-alcoholic for the kids and sake for the adults.

"And to Kakashi – may you never get into a fight with a marshmallow blob and lose ever again."

Iruka had a huge grin on his face as he poured the miserable-looking jounin more sake. "Welcome to my world, Kakashi!"

ღ

Whatever goes up must come down.

Arashi learned that early in life.

"Hokage-sama, the council is waiting."

He experienced the down part, while still feeling fresh from the high on his twins' celebration last night, the next morning. With the graduation over, his workload eased a little but there were a lot of these boring council meetings to sit through. Negotiations with the other hidden villages, politicking with the daimyos and accepting more missions to accommodate the new genins occupied most of his time now.

Ah, the advantages of being Hokage... not.

He nodded to the chuunin and schooled his Hokage face in place before entering the meeting room. He noted with surprise that there were extra Hyuuga representatives today. Hmmm, what was that about? Normally, their Konoha council meetings involved only the village elders, the Hokage(s), and the clan heads. Technically, the Sandaime was already retired but since his opinion still held a lot of sway in village matters and he was essentially a village elder, he had to attend meetings if it involved something of great importance.

Sarutobi-sama often mediated between two parties who couldn't see eye to eye, but this was just another routine council meeting... wasn't it? Uh oh, his Hokage senses were tingling.

"The Hyuuga clan has something very important to discuss with us today," Sarutobi began, taking center stage as their meeting started. "Hiashi, if you will?"

Hiashi nodded at the Sandaime and stood up. White eyes scanned the room. "No doubt you are all aware of the incident that happened regarding one of our own and his curse seal close to a decade ago."

Arashi stiffened, sat up straighter in his chair.

"A curse seal was placed on one of our Branch Family members, in accordance to custom in our clan. We do it while the child is still young for many reasons. One of them is because it is easier to place the seal on a child rather than wait until he is an adult. Another is if something ever happens to him, the secrets of the Byakugan will remain sealed. Genins are the most weak and vulnerable. The risk of getting captured while on a mission is high and without the seal in place, anyone could examine the remains for the secrets of our clan's bloodline limit."

Each of Hiashi's words stabbed at Arashi one arrow after flaming arrow -

"Some might think that this method is cruel, but it's the most efficient way of keeping our secrets as well as the order in our clan. We do not poke our noses in the Akimichi clan's soldier pills, we do not spy on the Aburames to figure out how they treat their bugs nor do we concern ourselves with how the Naras extract medicine from their deer. Each clan has their own practices and customs."

- And it didn't stop there.

"Their own secrets," he looked pointedly at Arashi. "We have tried to reaffix the seal on Neji's forehead year after year but failed each time. It was our hope that it would never come to this, but we have no choice left. The sealing technique refuses to work on him and our council has reached a unanimous verdict."

He paused for a moment to allow the quiet murmuring to subside.

"We waited a year longer than we originally planned but the Hyuuga council can delay this no longer. Neji is a genin now, soon to be applying for chuunin status." He scanned white eyes around the room, said in a voice that sent dread shooting up Arashi's spine with each syllable, "He is no longer an infant, he can take care of himself. It is with our utmost regret to inform you that as of today, Neji is no longer an official part of our clan."

There was stunned silence and utter disbelief from the non-Hyuugas in the room.

"He is currently packing his things and moving out of the Hyuuga compound as we speak. No longer will he be recognized by our clan unless -"

"Pardon my rudeness Hiashi," Arashi interrupted, face contorting in barely held rage and disgust, "but what in god's name are you doing to the boy?! He's only a child!"

"He's been genin for a year now," Hiashi calmly replied.

"Oh, of course," Arashi snorted, waving an indulgent hand in the air, "That makes a _world_ of difference even if he's just a_ boy_," voice dripping with sarcasm.

"He has lost his honor and is no longer fit to be part of our clan," one of the other Hyuuga council members spoke. "We are willing to take him back if he reclaims it, but even without a curse seal, he was still raised in our clan's ways. He is strong, he will survive. His pay as a genin could afford him a roof over his head, clothing and food on the table. He will manage on his own."

He looked so unaffected. He could've been talking about the weather and it wouldn't have made a difference.

"Isn't there anything any of us could do to make you reconsider this?" asked Arashi, eyes darted from one Hyuuga face to another. "Stripping him of his honor because of an event that happened beyond his help is a little extreme, don't you think? Surely there is a loophole to even out this terrible injustice." He schooled his voice to not sound as angry as he was at the moment.

"There is," Hiashi replied. "He can regain his honor on one condition," he smirked in the direction of the Uchiha. "If you are willing to help him, Yondaime-sama, you are free to do so. We have no objections to that."

"We encourage it even," another Hyuuga said earning Fugaku's narrowed gaze with his smirk.

"What can I do to help him?" Arashi felt like a fish caught in the fisherman's line for some reason.

It was odd how all the Hyuugas leaned forward as one, almost as if they had enough practice to be so coordinated with each other.

"That's simple," the Hyuuga on the left said.

"All you have to do," the Hyuuga on the right continued and let Hiashi finish the rest of his sentence -

"- Is to let him marry your daughter."

ღ

"Are you crazy!!!"

Hinata blushed profusely after that unexpected outburst and was glad her best friend had the guts to wave at the people who gawked their way. "Nothing to see here folks, move along," Kagome added, dragging Hinata to another aisle in the grocery store, away from prying ears and eyes.

The two were in a grocery store, Hinata tagging along with Kagome who was buying the ingredients needed to make giri and honmei-choco to give out on Valentine's Day. All the giri choco or "obligation chocolate" and Honmei-choco or "favorite/likely winner" Kagome gave out each year were all homemade but she always made something special for her dad, Naruto and of course, Itachi, who was the sole recipient of her super special honmei-choco.

"I'm not crazy," Kagome argued, mischief lurking behind her eyes, "I think it's time you finally give Naru honmei-choco and let him know – ah, Hinata! Breathe! You _have_ to admit it's a good, no great, idea! Since he hasn't noticed after all these years, I think it's time you take action. One step forward wouldn't hurt."

Years of experience dealing with her super gentle and faint-hearted girl friend automatically made her rub soothing circles on the Hyuuga heiress's back. Hinata was having trouble breathing, she could tell from the blue creeping on to her milky white complexion. She tended to hyperventilate when she got too excited and would even pass out when it was too much for her sweet nature. Those blackouts normally involved a certain clueless blond – close physical contact with him or too much undivided attention would cause Hinata to lose conciousness.

It was a weird habit she tried to overcome throughout the years, and with the help of Kagome, she was making small progress. Really small baby steps, nothing too drastic... until now.

"Kagome-chan," Hinata recovered from her bout of panic enough to glare at the other girl, "I refuse to make a heart-shaped chocolate for Naruto-kun, decorate it with 'I love you' and – and -" with hands flailing in the background "and give it to him this Valentine's Day!" she panicked once again. "I can't do it!"

"Of course you can!" Kagome argued back. "You can decorate it with 'Will you go out with me' or 'I like you' instead or just leave it blank if you want but you _have to_ give him something this year." When Hinata continued to look stubborn, she continued, "Think of how happy he'll be..."

Hinata struggled for a bit.

"He doesn't get a lot of gifts from girls on Valentine's Day..." her voice dropped to a mumble, "I think I'm the only girl who gives him choco on Valentine's Day. Don't you want to make him happy?"

Hinata looked pained, "That's underhanded, Kagome-chan."

Kagome grinned unrepentantly. "Come on, you know you want to do it." She picked off a few extras on the shelves as she continued to convince Hinata, convinced that this was the day she was finally going to be able to convince her friend to take action.

Homemade chocolate wasn't hard to make once you got the hang of it. Her first try was a big disaster but their kitchen was used to the abuse. Naru and Papa did worse things to their poor kitchen and they made a good clean-up crew afterwards, licking the spoons and bowls for whatever was left.

"He'll be _so_ happy and who knows, he might even return your feelings," she grinned deviously. "I have it on good authority that he no longer has a crush on Sakura-chan. His one true love is only ramen now, and you're way cuter than ramen."

"Um, thank you?"

The longer Kagome talked about her plan, the more Hinata was convinced. But the more Hinata was convinced, the more she got nervous. You can do it, Hinata, Kagome told her. It was good in theory and easier than it seemed when Kagome said it but it made her dizzy once she seriously considered the possibility. Could she really do it? That would be so unlike her, but if it was going to make Naruto-kun happy...

"Ah, no! Don't forget to breathe, Hinata. Ah- no, no, don't pass out. Breathe, Hinata, breathe. You can do it, just calm down."

ღ

"Calm down?!! How can you tell me to calm down after what he said!"

Arashi sweat dropped at the accusing finger pointed in Hiashi's direction. If this didn't have anything to do with him and his family, he would've found the situation comical. "Calm down, Fugaku-san." Hands clamped firmly on the man's shoulders squeezed when Hiashi failed to calm down, the urge to shake him was strong. This was just bizarre, in his opinion. _Why_ in Gamabunta's name did these things happen to him? "It was just a suggestion, wasn't it Hiashi-sama?"

"Yes Uchiha-san, you should calm down. If the father doesn't have any objections to the suggestion, why should you?" A Hyuuga council member smirked at the Uchiha head's reaction.

"I didn't say I have no objections," said Arashi in a careful tone, a vein threatening to pop on his forehead. He removed his hands from Fugaku's shoulder, turning to the Hyuugas on the other side of the room.

"You do not wish to help Neji anymore, Yondaime-sama?" The third Hyuuga council member asked.

"Of course I do," he replied sincerely, bracing to navigate through the traps laid out for him. "I'm just... not a believer in interfering with my children's futures, marriage-wise. They should be allowed to choose their own paths, make their own decisions. We aren't living in the Heian Era anymore."

The second Hyuuga council member shook his head. "No, we're not. But political marriages and marriages of convenience aren't unheard of or that uncommon in our village."

"Your own marriage was arranged from birth, was it not?" Village Elder Homura reminded him, adding the tidbit to their conversation and enjoying the pained look on the Yondaime's face.

"You looked like you two were very in love," Village Elder Koharu agreed, unaware of the uncomfortable corner she was helping push Arashi into.

"Yes," Arashi gritted out, growing defensive, "there is that... but I was lucky. _We_ got lucky that we fell in love - I wish to spare my children with the same fate if I could. No one can ever know how arranged marriages turn out and I'm not willing to gamble. Taking a risk in something that they will have no say on is out of the question." Then to Hiashi: "If my daughter falls in love with Neji-kun in the future, I will, of course, give them my full blessing and support."

Hiashi frowned. "Do you not find Neji acceptable? He is a strong shinobi and an honorable young man. He would do his in-laws proud."

"And you as well?"

"Of course," Hiashi easily agreed.

Arashi raised an eyebrow, asking lightly, "Then why are you kicking him out of your clan?"

"Hiashi-sama has already explained it earlier," The second Hyuuga council member replied, his tone indulgent and respectful. "We have no choice – we either exile him, giving him a chance to regain his honor, if that is his wish, or we execute him."

He said it so matter-of-factly it was all Arashi could do to keep his temper in check. His hand curled into a fist. "Isn't that a bit extreme? He is only a boy. He has done nothing wrong..." he stopped his tirade, realizing he had come full circle from his earlier outburst.

"That may be so," Hiashi said, "but what we are doing is no different from the common practice of shinobi villages hunting down ninjas when they go abandon their villages. To protect the secrets of a clan, no, of a _village_, missing-nins are placed in the Bingo Book and the bodies are brought back to the village. When shinobi die their bodies are cremated to protect whatever secrets can be exposed through the examination of the remains." Face impassive, "We have shown mercy by allowing him to live at a great risk to exposing the secrets of our Byakugan because he has potential," he continued.

"Perhaps they could start with the courting period first," The first Hyuuga council member pushed, unwilling to give up the subject of the Yondaime's daughter merging into their clan. "Neji-kun is self-sufficient now that he goes on missions, he will live on his own while he courts your daughter. Although our council fully supports this, he will be acting entirely on his own with no further influence from us until he regains his honor."

"This is just a ploy to assimilate the miko into your clan." Fugaku glared balefully at Hiashi. "Your nephew hasn't lost his honor."

"I assure you, Uchiha-san," The second Hyuuga council member replied in behalf of the Hyuuga head, "that he has. We have shown great leniency in allowing him to live despite numerous failed attempts of placing the seal on him. We are showing more mercy than any Hyuuga has ever been allowed in our entire clan's history. We have spared him from execution because he is clearly under the protection of the Yondaime's daughter. We are not even forcing him to regain that lost honor, it is his own choice. If he wants to, he could pursue that path. If he doesn't, he remains exiled until he redeems himself."

Fugaku snorted. "Then what is all this talk about arranged marriages?" He was sore about the issue and they all knew it. Many times he has hinted of arranging one with Arashi's daughter with one of his sons but the Yondaime dodged the subject each time. He'll be damned before he'd let these scheming Hyuugas get the better of him.

"It is merely a friendly suggestion."

"Only if Yondaime-sama wishes to help Neji-kun."

"We are in no way implying that it is mandatory on either side."

Hiashi nodded at his clan's council. "Isn't it time for Kagome-chan to consider her choice of suitors, Yondaime-sama?"

Arashi winced at the touchy subject, uncomfortably sweating bullets under such scrutiny from everyone in the room. "She just graduated from academy... She's still very young."

"It's never a bad idea to think about these things while they're young," Village Elder Homura thoughtfully added his two cents in.

"If that is the case, then allow me to put forth my son's suit as well then," Fugaku interjected.

Loud murmurs echoed throughout the chamber, giving the Yondaime a big headache.

"My daughter's suitors have to go through rigorous tests before I could deem them worthy." Arashi was still on the defensive an hour or two later. He was running out of excuses, so he clung to whatever ideas his mind could grasp, however half-baked they may be.

"What sort of tests?" One of the Hyuuga council members inquired; glad they were finally getting somewhere. Their tactical scheming was finally going to work!

"Well," Arashi quickly improvised, grasping for straws, "first he has to get the holy basin of Buddha." He started counting them off one by one on his fingers, proud of his improvisation skills. "Next is a legendary azalea made of silver and gold, the third is a fire-rat robe, the fourth is a colored jewel from a dragon, and lastly a seashell treasure of the shallows." He finished it off with a smug look; he never failed to amaze himself sometimes. He really is the greatest Hokage!

All of the people inside the room couldn't help but sweatdrop at their Yondaime. The comical beads of sweat grew bigger and bigger upon each of his demands. The room and the random bird on the window sill fell silent as nary a sound could be heard. Hiashi was the first one to find his voice from the sea of incredulity.

"Yondaime-sama," he treaded carefully, "if you don't mind me asking... why in Konoha's name are you quoting from the legend of Princess Kaguya?"

"Oh," Arashi huffed, looking a little put out that they were able to figure it out. Damn! And here he thought he had them in the palm of his hand... Damn!

"Yes oh," a Hyuuga council member repeated blandly. And this man was supposed to protect their village? _Konoha is doomed._

"What now, Arashi?" Village elder Koharu asked.

ღ

"So from now on, Neji-kun is going to be living with us!" Arashi tried to liven up his announcement by giving his children a big smile while patting Neji's head, affectionately, in a nervous gesture. It didn't work, he noticed. From the looks of things, they were upset with his revelation.

"Neji got kicked out of his clan?" Naruto goggled at their new housemate. "How could they do that to him!" shouted the half that was outraged on his friend's behalf. The sad part of him looked at Neji with pity and said "I'm sorry to hear that, man."

Neji was taking his expulsion in stride. Ever since his father's death at the hands of the Kumogakure shinobi, he felt less affinity towards his own clan. He harbored a tiny spark of resentment towards his uncle but none towards his cousins and he was never malicious. The childish part of him thought that if it weren't for his uncle, his father wouldn't have volunteered to march to his own demise to save his older brother. But he understood.

They were siblings and he instinctively knew that his father wished to protect his precious brother because their bond was strong. He noticed time and time again how his own friends would bicker with each other but unite against a common foe to protect the other. He didn't have any siblings but their example was good enough.

His relationship with their clan head was formal and a bit stiff at times but that was also understandable. Even without a curse seal on his forehead, he was from the Branch House and Hiashi-sama was from the Main House. Even without a curse seal, tradition dictates that only the first born could ever become a clan leader and his lack of seal only made him an oddity in the clan.

With the exception of Hinata and Hanabi, all the other Hyuugas resented him for his freedom. Freedom that none of the Branch Members were ever allowed. They didn't think it was fair and secretly wished the Yondaime's daughter would release them from the clan's shackles, too. But there were factors that had to be accounted for. The first reason why none of the other Branch Members came forward to ask, threaten or beg Kagome the same treatment Neji received was because of the curse seal already implanted on their foreheads. Two wrongs don't make a right and insufferable pain was dealt upon whoever attempted to have their seals removed. The second reason was the Yondaime. No one wanted to mess with the guy or get on his bad side. Not when he was the most powerful ninja in their village. Even prideful Hyuugas knew what the meaning of self-preservation was.

Kagome was never held accountable for her actions because she was but a toddler when she did it, and her father vowed she would never interfere with the Hyuugas and their clan rules again. The toddler could be excused but someone older who was aware of her actions will not go unpunished for violating private clan business. No one was stupid or inhuman enough to insist punishment on an innocent baby.

"It doesn't matter," Neji replied, shrugging indifferently. He was touched with their concern but it was unnecessary. "They told me I could come back once I regain my honor but it's fine."

"But it's not okay!" wailed the little miko in mixed anger and guilt. "They threw you out because of what I did! All of this is my fault!" Her chin quivered, "I'm so sorry Neji!" And her eyes started to water.

"This is not your fault!" Three males dreading the sight of female tears shouted as one.

"You were just a baby -" started Arashi, patting his daughter on the head.

"- and you didn't know what you were doing," continued Naruto, rubbing his sister's back.

"Not living under the stifling confines of the Hyuuga compound is a step up for me," Neji assured, hands making awkward gestures in the air. "This is a good development."

"- so you're not to blame here at all," all three chorused again.

"I should thank you," Neji nodded.

Kagome paused from her growing guilt "Really?" but was dubious.

"Yeah!" Naruto agreed. "Absolutely! Just think of all the fun we're going to have together!"

"But your honor..."

"Can be restored in due time," Arashi refused to tell his children what it would take to restore said honor but it would have to be enough for now. They had plenty of time to worry about that next time. He was perfectly willing to let Neji live with them for the next millennia and more, honestly. "We should celebrate after we get Neji-kun settled," he resorted to bribery. "Sushi," he hurried before the twins could make any demands, "since this is for Neji-kun and not the two of you," he shot them meaningful looks.

"You don't really mind?" Kagome asked Neji once again just to make sure.

"I don't mind," he gave her a genuinely rare smile and Kagome brightened.

"Okay!" she rubbed the unshed tears away, cheerful meter recharged. "Naru, Papa and I are going to make sure that this is going to be the best thing ever!" she promised with a determined fist pumping in the air.

ღ

This was the worst thing to ever happen... _ever_.

Sasuke thought as he watched Neji prance around without his shirt on in the Uzumaki house.

Well... he wasn't really _prancing _per se. Technically, the Hyuuga was _training_ in the _backyard_, but what was the difference? He still acted like he lived here or something!

"He lives here now," Naruto explained to his best friend as gently as he could. "He got kicked out of his clan and in order for him to restore his honor he has to come live with us under tousan's care."

Or at least as far as he knew.

"_Kicked out_ of the clan?"

"Yeah. He was banished," Naruto explained, misunderstanding his friend's question. "Exiled. Expulsed. Ostracized. No longer part of-"

"I know what banished means, dobe!"

"Oh, right. So yeah, he's staying with us now." He smiled to alleviate the tension in the air. "Poor guy, huh?"

'Poor guy' weren't exactly the words that Sasuke had in mind right now. His inner thoughts ran along _Neji must die_. He didn't care if the entire Hyuuga clan held Kagome responsible for what she did close to a decade ago. She was still in her diapers then! Can't they give the baby a break?

"_This is all just an evil ploy on Hiashi's part."_

He understood the meaning behind his father's cryptic grumbled words this morning then, when he urged his youngest to rush to visit his friends' house. Sasuke was practically shoved off the bed and thrown out of the house in haste.

Evil, evil Hyuugas! And Hiashi was the most evil one of all!

Why hadn't his father thought about this first? No wonder everyone in Konoha thought that the Hyuugas were the strongest clan in the village! They were cunning and sneaky and – _why is Kagome talking to Neji while he has no shirt on?!_

His feet moved on their accord, striding purposefully towards the chummy duo.

"That was great, Neji!" Kagome said, watching him pat his sweat with the towel she provided.

"I missed one, actually. I keep overlooking the ones on my blind spot," he shared with trace amounts of frustration in his voice. Hours of training failed to provide him a solution for the only known weakness of his bloodline limit, which is a blind spot behind the first thoracic vertebra. It frustrated him.

"Having fun practicing so early in the morning, Hyuuga?"

Neji didn't have to turn around or use his Byakugan to identify the speaker. "Yes," he simply replied, giving Sasuke a satisfied smirk when they came face to face with each other.

Sasuke's lips curled in a displeased sneer.

"Oh you're here, Sasuke! Are you training with Naru today? Maybe you could spar with Neji; he's been practicing all morning." Kagome smiled at her friend, oblivious to the hostile atmosphere and heated looks her friends were throwing each other. There were no animals within a ten feet radius, aware of the danger that lurked in this backyard.

"Actually Kagome, I'm done." Neji made a big show of rolling his shoulders and loosening his neck muscles. Fate had always been unrepentantly stingy with him before but now it unexpectedly dealt him a winning hand. "I think I'll go take a quick shower and get a light snack before lunch." His life couldn't possibly get any better than this.

"Yeah, you didn't have breakfast." Kagome's brows furrowed in concern before an enlightened fist slapped against her open palm. "I'll fix you one before I cook lunch. Leave it to me."

Neji looked unsure. "You don't have to do that..."

"Of course I don't!" she agreed, "But I want to. You're not a guest in the house but I do this all the time for Papa and Naru so why shouldn't I do it for you?"

Yes, the tide finally decided to turn on his favor. "Thank you, Kagome" and it only doubled his pleasure that Sasuke looked like he just swallowed a whole lemon. There was a visible swagger in his step when he bid the Uchiha a good day and went back to his room for some clothes after his bath. Now he knew what _happy_ felt like.

ღ

Itachi wasn't happy.

He was never the emotional type because emotions were for weak people, but a feeling that could only be described as deep irritation nested in his chest and was quickly laying down eggs.

He didn't mean to eavesdrop on his parents' private conversation, really he didn't, but what did one do when all you wanted was to grab a quick snack from the kitchen only to have it stalled because your mother and father sounded like they were having a serious conversation in there?

He knew he shouldn't have stayed close to the wall and listened, hoping to calmly walk in on a precise moment as if he didn't hear a thing and then leave after he got his food. Stupid rumbling hungry stomach. Since when did he listen to his stomach instead of his brain anyway? Why did he have to hear his father telling his mother "I've talked with the Yondaime and discussed our son formally courting his daughter."

"Aren't they a bit too young for that, anata?" His mother asked hesitantly.

And why did his father have to reply with "I had to do it now because the Hyuugas were making their move."

His mother sighed, accepting her husband's decision. "I don't understand why you chose Sasuke though. I'm sure Itachi is more suitable for -"

"No. Itachi..." Fugaku's voice dropped to below a very low whisper now and the blood rushing to Itachi's ears prevented him from hearing the rest of the sentence.

Suddenly he wasn't so hungry anymore. He closed his eyes and for a brief moment, the image of him running his sword through his father's gut passed behind his mind's eye before he opened them once again. He was so irritated, his sharingan was activated.

ღ

"You don't like it?" Sad blue eyes looked at him hopefully.

He shook his head. "No, I like it." Itachi carefully took a bite out of the heart-shaped choco and couldn't help but soften under the combination of sweetness from the candy and her shy smile.

She never failed to give him chocolates every year since she discovered what Valentine's Day was. One look at the chocolates he received and anyone could tell that _his_ were different from the others. That alone drove him to eat every last bite of it even though he didn't like chocolate. They were special, and not in the way that Naruto-kun's or Arashi-sama's were.

Still, he couldn't help but toss a hateful look at the chocolates in his brother's hands, willing it to disappear or die - preferably both. The irrational green-eyed monster that laid eggs in his chest that afternoon he overheard his parents' conversation hatched a lot of unhealthy emotions in him.

One of them constantly nagged - Why Sasuke and not him? Formally bringing the younger Uchiha into the picture would only serve to complicate things for him. He liked things the way they were now. Pesky flies hovered over her once in a while but none that he wouldn't think twice of cutting down, if need be. That weird Hojo kid and the Hyuuga were small fry compared to him. And Sasuke was too but his father was another matter.

Fugaku was clan head and could give him more than just minor bumps in the road if he decided to get serious. He wasn't as formidable an opponent as the Yondaime was but still... the phrase 'nip it in the bud' came to mind.

Maybe he should tell now her before things are blown out of proportion. "... Kagome..."

"Oh!" Kagome suddenly squealed, unconsciously gripping a patch of his shirt. "Look, look!" she whispered excitedly, trying to be discreet as she pointed, "Hinata's giving her handmade chocos to Naru!" Gone was her shy, blushing face when she gave her carefully-made present to Itachi. Hinata's awkwardness and Naruto's clueless-ness taking center stage for the moment.

Her excitement was too much to interrupt, so he turned to look.

ღ

Tazuna had to look away from the outpouring of grief, unable to deny the tears discharging from his own eyes. The girl sobbing over the lifeless body of her friend would break even the hearts of the most hardened of criminals.

Sasuke was dead.

Kagome's world came crashing down and time literally stopped.

_More than **a week ago**_, Team Seven had been assigned a bodyguard mission to protect a bridge-builder named Tazuna from the Land of the Waves. It was the very first non D-ranked mission they had and the team was really psyched to go. Naruto had issues with the old man at first, especially when his height was questioned, but he was soon eager to prove himself and received a poisonous hand wound to show for it.

Sasuke wasn't the only one who didn't choke with their first real ninja fight. Naruto had to be saved by Kakashi and although Kagome had enough wits to create a shield around her and Tazuna, Sasuke had to come to their rescue.

Despite all the talk and conditioning they received, Naruto and Kagome just didn't have enough killer instincts yet.

Team Seven's list of foes didn't stop at the Demon Brothers at the outskirts of Konoha. As they neared the Land of the Waves, Momochi Zabuza, a former ANBU and current missing-nin from Kirigakure also confronted them. He was the toughest opponent any of the new genins have faced so far and their teamwork was put to the test.

Kagome had a sneaking suspicion that her team was coddling her, forcing her to be the last line of defense while they tackled the job of engaging the enemy in combat. "Take care of Tazuna, Kagome" was what her male teammates said. She knew better than to question orders, especially from their team leader, so she tried her best to 'take care of Tazuna'. She never understood why Mushin-sama instilled the need for her energy shield to be very effective, even employing her father's and Kakashi's help to test it using their one-of-a-kind techniques, but she was thankful that she could confidently hold her own against most attacks even if her offensive skills weren't on par with her defensive ones. Compared to Naruto whose constant sparring partners were their father or Jiraiya or to Sasuke who was the top student of their class, her offensive taijutsu skills were only equivalent to Hinata's at best.

As she watched her teammates battle Zabuza while protecting Tazuna behind her safe and sturdy bubble, for the first time in her life, she felt a little inadequate. Sasuke was skilled enough to use the Fuuma Shuriken and Naruto was ingenious enough to think of a strategy to trick the Demon of the Hidden Mist to release their sensei from his water prison. Kakashi also blew them all away when he used his sharingan against the 'freak with no eyebrows', as Naruto dubbed him. All three of them were brilliant.

After the hunter-nin carted Zabuza's body away they had to nurse Kakashi back to health. Using the sharingan placed an immense strain on his non-Uchiha body and he was physically exhausted. Kagome healed the team's wounds as best as she could with her miko powers but Kakashi had to conquer his exhaustion by himself and cure it with sleep.

Naruto scolded her from overexerting her genin medic skills but she was too stubborn to listen. If they trained themselves to the point of exhaustion then why wasn't she allowed to cure her teammates with the same dedication? That was the first real fight she had with him, complete with screaming voices and pointing fingers on both their parts, and she would've stomped away angrily if only she didn't pass out from weariness.

While Sasuke was forced to play nursemaid to his fallen comrades, Naruto took the time to beat some sense into Inari about true heroes and what they were capable of. He did calm down after a while and alternated duties with Sasuke, but the guilt ate at him after his sister didn't wake up until a day later. He promised never to yell at her again if she promised to never scare him like she did ever again, he told her, but she didn't make any promises on her part, choosing to remain stubborn until the end.

Another day after that, Kakashi woke up and they started chakra training exercises. Kagome aced the tree-climbing exercise on her first try due to her training with Mushin, dangling her legs as she sat on the tree branch, asking for taijutsu training from Kakashi instead. Naruto and Sasuke took the whole night to climb all the way to the top, presenting her with several cuts and bruises to heal afterwards. Their unreasonable rivalry was in full throttle, each determined to be the best for their own reasons.

Kakashi's instincts telling him something was wrong with the first fight with Zabuza were justified a few more days later when the missing-nin surprised them at the bridge. Once again Kagome was left behind to protect their mark while her teammates engaged their enemies in fights. The hazy fog separated the team mates from each other, forcing them to concentrate on their individual battles and tasks at hand.

Tazuna huddled closer to the girl, feeling safe inside her protective bubble. Kakashi was locked against a fierce battle with Zabuza who relentlessly teased him about his subordinates' sure deaths at the hands of his seasoned apprentice.

Haku was far stronger and more experienced than the two male rookies of Team 7 and it didn't take long for him to trap them in his ice jutsu. Sasuke managed to activate his sharingan although he had two dots on one eye and only a single dot on the other, but Haku's experience proved to be more overpowering than Sasuke's bloodline limit and he went down from a rain of well-placed senbons when he moved to protect the unconscious Naruto.

Naruto, waking up from being knocked out earlier, opened his eyes just in time to see his best friend fall face first towards the ground. Reacting out of instinct, he caught Sasuke before he hit the ground but he was quickly losing it.

"You're such an idiot, dobe." Sasuke managed to hurl the biting insult despite his fading vision. "If it weren't for you, I would've had a chance to win."

Naruto bit back the tears threatening to spill out of his eyes, uncaring that he was leaving himself open to Haku's attacks while gently cradling his injured friend. "Who told you to do that teme! I don't need you to protect me!"

"My body moved on its own." He would've placed more sarcasm behind his sentences if he could.

"Gee teme, I didn't know you cared so much."

Snorting hurt so he smirked instead. "Don't get me wrong. I didn't do it for you, dobe. If you die, Kagome will be sad." At least, he consoled himself as he rapidly lost conciousness, he was dying honorably. No shrieks of pain or troublesome tears. And it was an added bonus knowing that the dobe would be wracked with guilt due to his 'heroism'.

And then Sasuke succumbed to the darkness.

Naruto laid him gently on the ground before facing Haku with hooded eyes. Wounds received from Haku's attacks slowly healed themselves as a strange mist rose up from within the blond boy's body.

Haku would have taken a step back from the menacing aura surrounding his opponent if not for the fact that he was inside a sheet of ice. Eyes widened beneath his mask when it met Naruto's.

They weren't blue anymore.

"How dare you kill Sasuke!"

The boy's voice wasn't just his own anymore. A red aura was rapidly spiraling into the air, forcing Haku to brace himself as if he was inside a tornado.

"How dare you do that to my friend!"

Haku's resolve faltered for a minute, buckling under the weight of Naruto's killing intent.

"You're going to pay for this!"

It was time to prove his worth to Zabuza-san.

Kakashi's hairs stood on end as he battled Zabuza. The mist jutsu the missing-nin cast at the start of the fight was still thick around them but he didn't really need to _see_ his opponent now, did he? A scroll, sacrificial blood and several quick hand signs could fix that, and he hurried to prepare them.

This was bad, he had to end this soon or else something even worse was going to happen.

He could feel the familiar menacing chakra, one he would never forget even if he grew to a ripe old age of two hundred and one. He could taste it in the air.

"Your subordinates are probably dead by now," Zabuza taunted from somewhere in the mist. "Give it up Kakashi, you're no match against us – your ickle baby ninjas aren't a match for Haku. He should be done toying with them now. I'd be surprised if one of them is still standing. All that's left for him to do is kill that kunoichi in your team to get to the old man."

"Don't underestimate us," Kakashi replied, uneasiness growing. Bright red chakra mixed with blue shot to the sky just as he finished his summoning ritual.

Even Zabuza was startled. "What is tha-"

"_Fox Fire!!!_"

Kagome's attention snapped to the direction of the blue fire when it blasted the mist within the vicinity. Chunks of ice rained down upon them and it was all she could do to keep her shield up against the shock wave, sheltering Tazuna along with her.

She spotted her brother immediately after the mist cleared. "Naruto!" A little taken aback by the weird look on his face, she gasped when she saw Sasuke lying on the ground. "Oh my god, Sasuke!"

Her chakra shield flickered for a moment before she lowered it all the way down, much to the disapproval of Tazuna.

"Kagome-chan!" He half-screeched nervously.

"Sasuke! Naru, what's wrong with Sasuke?" The urge to run to her teammates' side was strong but she clamped it down, having enough presence of mind to stay with Tazuna, as per Kakashi-sensei's orders.

Naruto didn't respond, giving his sister a sad look and something else before turning his full attention to Haku.

Sensing the girl's dilemma, Tazuna placed a sympathetic hand on her shoulder. "If I go with you to check on your teammate, I don't think you'll be going against your sensei's orders," the man offered.

Kagome didn't think twice about it, grabbing the bridge builder's hand and dragging him to where Sasuke was. Naruto's fight relocated several yards away from them due to the force of the blow he landed on Haku, strong enough to break the guy's face mask. A weird blue fire engulfed him, protecting him from Haku's attacks, rendering his ice useless.

The young miko in training didn't waste any time, dropping down to her knees, hands glowing pink ki. She hardly noticed Kakashi's nin-dogs pinning Zabuza down, although she did see most of what happened next. Seconds ticked into minutes but her fallen team member remained unresponsive.

Tazuna watched slack-jawed and in awe while Kagome's sobs spilled forward, dread creeping on her spine. Sasuke wasn't responding and he was cold! He wasn't breathing!

He's dead.

_No!_

Sasuke's dead.

_I don't believe that!_

He's gone.

_No he's not!_

He's not moving, check his pulse... nothing.

While Kakashi gloated at Zabuza, old man Tazuna was moved by the grief the girl was exhibiting. He lost a lot of friends while building this dream bridge before and he even watched his daughter and grandson mourn the loss of his son-in-law, but this girl's grief touched him to the very depths of his soul. He wanted to say something, anything to help her but he was too chocked up in his emotions.

Kagome was inconsolable.

Off to one side, Haku wished for Naruto to end his existence calmly while Kakashi got his 'present' ready for Zabuza.

But wait!

Looking around, she didn't see any sign of a shinigami.

And!

Regaining her wits enough to press her ear firmly on his chest, she could _feel_ his heartbeat. It was really faint yet it was there. She doubled her efforts in response, desperate not to lose him. If it meant giving him her own life force, so be it!

"Sasuke!"

He was floating in darkness, unable to see anything. He was fine with it, he felt weightless. Time was irrelevant in the darkness and he couldn't remember anything else aside from the feeling of being alone in his own little world.

"Hang in there! If you die, I'm never going to forgive you!"

Huh. If a person was dead, why would it matter if someone never forgives him for dying?

Wait.

Why does that voice sound familiar?

"Sasuke, wake up!"

Even when he opened his eyes in the proverbial darkness he couldn't see anyone. Maybe it was just a figment of his imagina-

"Sasuke!!!"

No.

That certainly didn't sound like a dream. And neither was the warm chakra flowing through him.

"Kagome?" He suddenly rasped like a drowned man, eyes fluttering open to meet watery blue ones peering down on him.

"Sasuke, you're alive!" Big drops of saline rolled down her cheeks to rain on his. "Naru thought you were dead!" she sobbed in relief, keeping healing hands on him. "I thought you were dead! You weren't breathing! You were cold and you weren't moving! And – and – I'm just glad you're not dead!!!" She would've hugged him at that moment but she forced herself to continue pumping healing ki into him instead.

"That makes the two of us," Sasuke removed the needles out of his arm carefully. Wincing was out of the question because he had to take it like a man.

"Hold on, let me get that for you." Kagome fussed over him. "Don't make any sudden movements. Haku didn't seem like he wanted to kill you and it looks like he didn't aim for any of your vital points but you should take it easy, just to be on the safe side."

He had to admit that it felt good to be fussed upon, liked the attention he was getting. Warm chakra, careful removal of needles from his body and Kagome caring about his welfare – what more could he ask for?

"Haku?" He asked, sitting up with her help. She didn't have to do it really, he had enough strength in him to do at least that, but he wasn't complaining.

"The boy you fought."

Oh yeah. "What happened to him?"

She diverted his attention to an injured figure leaning on a Naruto clone while facing off against Gatou's paid mercenaries. Fighting alongside the Naruto clones were a whole lot of other Kakashi clones.

"He's injured, not worse than you are, but he does have a big giant wound from sensei's attack. Naru tackled him before it landed, but it grazed him and threw off sensei and parried his attack with," a frown graced her face "his new fire jutsu."

"Fire jutsu?" Sasuke's brow lifted. Since when did Naruto have a fire jutsu?

_Fox Fire_

Why did that sound so familiar?

Kagome brushed the question aside and continued to explain, "Everything was a little weird for a moment and Naruto moved faster than I've seen him move before. I'm surprised he got there in time to – ah! I told you not to get up! Stop! Wait, hold on." She hurried to support him as he stood up, her explanatory speech cut off.

"I can take care of myself," he snapped. "I'm not weak."

"I'm not saying you are," she looped his right arm around her shoulders and acted as his crutch. "I'm just saying that you should take it easy because you just recovered. I healed you but don't overtax yourself -"

"Kagome."

"- I don't want you to pull a muscle or aggravate any internal injuries. I'm not an expert or even certified medic-nin yet you know. I wouldn't know if you're truly okay or -"

Sasuke sighed and rolled his eyes, tuning out her usual lecture about being careful. What did she think he was, a baby? He didn't need her constant mothering, although it felt nice; he was a big boy capable of taking care of himself.

Their current situation on the bridge just turned precarious. Zabuza, the leader of the mercenary gang facing off against the Naruto and Kakashi's clones, just killed Gato and his newly unemployed goons wanted payback. Zabuza conveniently keeled over after taking his revenge, leaving heavily injured Haku, bloodied-up Kakashi and very tired Naruto to deal with the aftermath. Kakashi's kage bunshin jutsu produced more clones than Naruto's did, but they were still unevenly matched; five ninja, four with severely depleted chakra and one with poor taijutsu skills, and an old bridge builder against a ship-full of angry gangsters carrying dangerous weapons.

It was a good thing Inari came with lots of reinforcements.

"Thank goodness!" Kagome would've dropped to her wobbly knees if not for her body acting as his crutch. "I don't know I was made to take this much excitement," she commented dryly, watching her brother grin at Inari with triumph.

The would-be gangsters took a step back, realizing that they were at a disadvantage now, and quickly – literally – jumped off the bridge one by one to escape retribution. The conquering villagers lined the edge of the unfinished bridge, making sure the gangsters were properly chased off, tails tucked between their legs.

It was a glorious day for Inari and the townsfolk. Kakashi breathed a sigh of relief, sending a silent prayer of thanks that the ordeal was finally over.

Sasuke regarded the injured Haku saying his farewell to Zabuza's corpse with narrowed eyes. Haku defeated him and Naruto was able to stand up to him. Did that mean he was weaker than Naruto? How was he ever going to be stronger than his niisan if he can't even be stronger than the dobe?

"Ow!" a sharp pinch to the side brought him out of his daydream, eyes meeting furious blue ones.

"I was seriously scared you know!" Kagome continued to rant at him, irritated that he was spacing out just now. "How dare you and Naru and – _hiccup_ - and sensei scare me like that!"

She was really cute when she got angry. Cheeks flushed, eyes burning with determination, glaring at him. He was taller than her and she looked really adorable whenever she tilted her head to look up at him.

"Kagome."

"I really hate this! I never want to feel like this ever again!!!"

"Kagome."

"I honestly thought you were dead! What would've happened if..." frustrated hands flailed in the air, narrowly avoiding hitting him in the face. "Could you imagine how I'm supposed to face Mikoto-mama if you died, huh?!"

"Ka-go-me."

"If I were her, I'd blame me for my lack of skills! How could I let my teammates down like that!"

He sighed, "Kagome, shut up."

She narrowed eyes at him. "Don't tell me to shut up. You have no right to tell me to shut up. You forfeited that right when you pretended you were dead, scaring me half to death."

"I didn't pretend to be dead," he responded, trying hard not to laugh at her absurd comment. "I was unconscious. I didn't know if I was dead or not." A thoughtful look crossed his face. "I thought for a minute I was..."

"Yeah well, never do that again."

He gave her a look.

She huffed childishly, convinced she was right. "It was scary and even Naru was convinced. I don't think I'll ever recover from the fright you gave me -"

"Kagome." She was cute when she got angry and her concern was very touching but he didn't need this lecture right now.

"- Check my hair! I bet you there's a gray one there and _you_ caused it, I swear!"

"Kagome," he wondered what it would take to get her to calm down.

"If I have gray hair, you're going to pay for it! This is all your fault!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes. She was getting into her sermon now, long gone from the rational world. It would take her at least several hours to get it out of her system, he estimated from experience, so he did the only thing anyone in his position would have done – he leaned forward and kissed her – causing the whole world to grind to a screeching halt.

ღ  
The End.  
Lol just kidding!

**Excuses:** I finally bought the Yondaime plushie I've been eyeing _forever_ several weeks ago and I might have offended my chibi Itachi plushie. It didn't want to continue inspiring me anymore but I forced it to. I'm a bad moogle, kupo. :( I have nothing but the plans for the next chapter. Wish me luck and hope my muse doesn't die.

**Notes:** Apologies to Square Enix for the chapter's title and Gundam Wing. Kagome's girly summoning technique will be VERY³ important in the future. I don't want to spoil it for you so I'll just keep my mouth shut but you people are so smart (some have come very close to guessing), I think you can sort of guess where this is going. I don't know why listening to Nightmare while writing this gets me comedy, but that's what the reviewers have been telling me... so weird (someone must've spiked my mochi) but I'm thankful for all the reviews!

–drags a reluctant chibi Itachi dressed in a bunny suit in front of the audience- This is my muse. He feeds on reviews. Please find it in your heart to nourish this chibi. ♥


	8. Can we keep him?

**Chapter 8: Can We Keep Him?  
o3.31.o7**  
● ● ●

"Hey Naruto, what was that jutsu you used on the bridge?"

"I call it fox fire, Kakashi-sensei. It's cool, isn't it?"

Team 7 was heading for home and the two light-haired members of the team were trying to have a conversation to fill in the awkward, uncomfortable silence that descended upon them after Sasuke's spontaneity. Naruto or Kakashi could draw Kagome or Sasuke into one of their conversations sometimes but never for long, and after one word replies, grunts or head nods, they kept quiet again.

Sasuke quit trying to engage Kagome in a conversation by the time they reached the Land of Fire since Kagome wouldn't even look at him or acknowledge that she heard him. One word from Sasuke and Kagome would seek refuge in her twin, burrowing on Naruto's side until the Uchiha was forced to give up. If Naruto wasn't there, she would turn to Kakashi and use his back as a human hole in the ground where she could stick her head into until Sasuke quit trying to engage her in conversation.

It was vexing for Sasuke and torturous for Naruto and Kakashi. The copy-nin was a man of a few words, but he preferred to pretend to have a long conversation with Naruto rather than see and hear the young Uchiha fumble around. Naruto was stuck between his bestfriend and his sister, a rock and a hard place. He didn't want to choose sides if he could help it, but the bastard was just going to have to fly solo until Kagome unlatched herself from his arm.

Haku, whom Kagome had taken an instant liking to the second Naruto claimed him as a friend, knew better than to ask what was happening. Not even Zabuza released such a frightening aura like Kagome did whenever she glared at Sasuke. Acting small and as inconspicuous as possible was his best bet right now. He had little to nothing to contribute to the current conversation anyway.

"Yeah..." Kakashi sounded hesitant. "Tell me... when did you learn it? I haven't seen you practicing it before and you could've used it with our first fight with Zabuza," he gave Haku an apologetic look, "but you didn't. Were you hiding it from me, hm?" His tone and words were kidding but the intentions behind it very serious.

Naruto, who was carrying his sister on his back in a piggyback ride, shifted the sleeping girl higher before he replied. "Nah," he shook his head. "I don't know why but when I thought Haku killed the bastard," he grinned boyishly at Haku, "something just snapped inside of me and suddenly, I knew this jutsu... I didn't even realize I did it until much later," and shrugged nonchalantly. "Why do you ask?" Suspicious eyes narrowed at his sensei.

Kakashi shook his head "Nothing," and lied.

Naruto wasn't buying it. "You want me to teach it to you, don't you?" he speculated. "No... maybe you want me to do it so you can copy it with your sharingan, yeah that's it! That's what you want, isn't it!?" he accused, would've pointed a finger in the jounin's direction if his hands weren't busy keeping his sister from falling from his back.

Kakashi continued to shake his head at his student, but shrugged halfway through a head shake. "You got me, Naruto."

The blond stuck his tongue out at Kakashi, telling him in a smug voice, "You could copy it, but you're never going to do it like me, sensei. I'm the only one who could ever do it right."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Pack your bags everybody," voice dripping with sarcasm, "Naruto's taking us on an ego trip."

Haku tried to hide a snicker behind a dainty hand and Kakashi barked out a laugh.

"Shut up, bastard!" Naruto glared at him. "You're just jealous too and..." at Sasuke's 'yeah right' look, "at least Kagome's still talking to me, so hah!" he added hotly.

Sasuke took a step forward, intent on beating some sense into the blond but remembered the girl his friend carried. He paused, caught up to Naruto's stride and bopped him one on the head instead, making sure to avoid disturbing Kagome.

"Ow!" Naruto scowled, "I'll remember this, teme! Just you wait, when we get back home..." he mumbled the last part, annoyed that his sensei was laughing at him.

Their light banter continued all the way to Konoha, and they arrived home just in time for supper. The guards in the entrance outpost observed the addition to Team 7 when they reached the gate checkpoint, but said nothing more than a welcoming greeting to the home-comers as they logged it in the gate traffic report. Naruto wanted to make a beeline for Ichiraku's but Kakashi reminded him about Haku.

Haku looked visibly nervous, now that he was going to meet this Yondaime, leader of the Leaf Village and legendary shinobi of Konoha. It wasn't as if he had anywhere or anyone else to come home to, but he would've been able to survive on his own without the help of anyone if only Naruto hadn't insisted on him tagging along with them. He told the blond not to feel responsible for what happened to Zabuza, they were only doing their duties as ninjas, but the loud Konoha genin wouldn't take no for an answer and threatened to drag him all the way to their village bound and gagged if he refused.

"I'm sure tousan would be glad to have you," Naruto had told him.

"And you're already one of us," Kagome had added, further making him agree to come with them. No one had been so eager to have him before – his parents having been afraid of his abilities and all.

Now though, he swallowed nervously, it was a different matter. When Zabuza took him in, he had a purpose. He was supposed to be a tool, a weapon to attain Zabuza's goals. He had a solid objective then, something definite to cling to. Now, even though he liked these warm feelings that were to new to him every time the twins included him in whatever they were doing, he honestly didn't know how to deal with it.

He wasn't used to doing nothing but receiving. All Naruto and Kagome did was give him something new each day. First there was the offer of having some place to go, somewhere to belong to, and then the next day a sense of belongingness that was almost... familial. Naruto already promised him several things to do in the village like going to his favorite ramen stand, introducing him to friends, showing him the best places in town and lots more. If he proved himself worthy, the blond added, he might even teach Haku the best pranks to pull on people.

Kagome, on the other hand, groomed his hair everyday since they've met, made sure to heal even the tiniest cuts he received and promised to take him shopping. He had a feeling the girl thought of him as a female due to his feminine looks despite being a male, but if it made her happy, he didn't mind. The two Uzumakis were a riot, truly fun to be with. The Uchiha's cold demeanor and their sensei's indifference were all but overshadowed by their behavior.

What about their father though? It was hard to imagine a Hokage with the disposition of Naruto or Kagome, so Haku was understandably apprehensive about the meeting. The siblings might have promised and assured him of lots of things, but in the end, he knew he had to impress the leader of Konoha to be able to stay longer with his newfound friends. Yes, in the end he was an independent person, capable of taking care of himself but in the time spent journeying from the Land of the Waves to Konoha, he had grown considerably attached to the Uzumakis. He didn't want their father to have a wrong impression of him and get him kicked out of the village at this point.

And that made him nervous.

The Hokage Tower was noticeably less busy in the afternoon after work hours. An occasional shinobi would pass them while the group made their way to the top office, but the busy random chuunins scuttling from one errand to another were absent.

Kagome pretended to be asleep until they reached the Hokage Tower, determined to ignore Sasuke as long as she could. The urge to sit him crept up on her every time he appeared in her line of vision. Sensing Haku's nervousness, she grabbed one of his hands and squeezed reassuringly. Kakashi was waiting for them to catch up to him by the door leading to the Yondaime's office.

"Hurry up, kids." The jounin waved them over impatiently.

"Kagome," Sasuke turned to her, making one last effort to talk to her before going inside the room. She brushed past him and gently tugged Haku into the room. Naruto was already inside.

"Welcome back, Team 7!" Iruka was in the room with the Hokage, looking as much the proud papa as Arashi was. He couldn't be any happier that his students returned safe and sound from their first high-ranked mission. He gave the pretty addition to the team a cursory glance and waited for everyone to settle down, finish their homecoming hugs, greetings and other rituals that involved squishing body parts tightly while giving affectionate noogies.

"Your report, Kakashi?"

There was an apparent awkwardness in the air, one which Arashi couldn't place. He listened to the jounin's report avidly, but he noticed the genins' odd behaviors. Haku trained nervous eyes at Arashi like he was expecting the Hokage to jump up and eat him any moment, while Naruto tried (and failed) not to look uncomfortable as he stood between Sasuke who kept looking at Kagome and Kagome who kept turning her head away from Sasuke, looking everywhere and everything but him.

"So can we keep him?" Two sets of eager blue eyes turned their full attention to the man interrupting his observation of Sasuke and snapping him out of his reverie, the hopeful look on their faces enough to make his heart melt. After Kakashi ended his report, Naruto and Kagome presented Haku's case to him, alternating roles in while they asked for Haku's acceptance into the Hidden Leaf Village.

"He's not a puppy or a kitten you can just adopt..." a frustrated hand ran through blond locks, struggling to explain it to his children as gently as he could. "He's not a stray animal..."

"We know that papa," Kagome interrupted and Naruto continued "- but he has nowhere to go!" Then they chorused in synch, "We can help him, can't we?"

There was just no reasoning with them. He was surprised when Kakashi gave him the full mission report and impressed when he read the details. He wasn't the only one curious as well, when Team Kakashi came home with one member too many, Iruka being the one to get to the bottom of things when he asked his former students who the stranger was.

Haku was introduced by Naruto who made sure to make it clear that he was a boy, mumbling about how he mistook his new buddy for a girl because of his looks before and didn't want his father to do the same thing.

Arashi sighed, defeated. "Go make up a room for him at the house," then hurried to add "and don't keep him up all night tonight, he has to come with me to register tomorrow, after I talk to the council." The loud cheering made it difficult for him to be heard so he made the two promise to not hassle the new addition to their family too much before he allowed them to race home.

Haku only had a few possessions. All the material things he owned fit into the medium sized bag that Zabuza provided for him several years ago. If you looked into the bag, you'll find several articles of clothing not too inexpensive and not too pricey, just enough to provide warmth when needed and comfort in other extreme weathers. There was also a spare set of sandals, a couple of masks when he needed to pretend to be hunter-nin chasing his former master, emergency rations and of course, his weapons. His scroll collection wasn't as impressive as Kagome's was, but he had several which were new to her and he generously allowed her to borrow them for her perusal. Kagome was 'scroll obsessed', as Naruto would say. A 'scroll freak', so he told her she could keep the ones she was fixated on, but she refused his offer, insisting he should treasure the rare ones he had left of his clan's heritage.

The room they gave him was bigger than anything he's ever had as far as he could remember. It's bigger than the hut he lived in with his parents, although the hut wasn't really that big and the room isn't really anything extravagant, but it's _his_. The twins are already planning on what additions were needed to "spruce it up" and make him "feel more at home". Haku has a giant lump in his throat preventing him from telling them that he already felt at home. The first time ever since his father rallied the neighbors to kill him and his mother.

He had no presentable nightclothes to wear after his bath, but Naruto quickly solved it by handing him some. He wondered where the boy got it considering they fit him perfectly – it couldn't have been Naruto's, his clothes would fit him too small; it couldn't have been the Yondaime's either, his clothes would've been several sizes too big – but he was soon ushered to the kitchen to snack on a bowl of instant ramen with Naruto while Kagome prepared dinner.

The front door opened and someone yelled "Tadaima!" from the foyer just as he was washing their bowls. Instead of the bigger version of Naruto whom he was expecting, it was a boy around their age with hair that could rival his joined them.

"Okaeri, Neji!"

"I'm ho-" his white eyes zoomed in on the long haired stranger. "Are those my clothes?"

"Yeah, I hope you don't mind me raiding your closet!" Naruto replied, attempting to grab a piece of tempura from the cooked batch. Kagome slapped his hand away with the spatula. "Ow!" He rubbed his hand, pouting at his sister before turning back to Neji, "My clothes are too small for him and tousan's clothes are too big for him, but yours fit just fine." He made another attempt to swipe a piece and failed.

"Naru, stop that and go set the table! Welcome back, Neji. Are you hungry? Would you like some ramen before dinner? It'll be ready soon," she smiled at him and stirred the miso soup before checking on the rice and stuffed fish. "Papa might be home soon, too. You look tired. Do you want to take your bath first?"

"I'll get the tub ready," Haku offered, getting up.

Neji shook his head, waving Haku back to his seat. "No, I'll take it later after dinner... but more importantly..." he looked at Haku and back at Kagome, an unspoken question in his eyes.

"Oh!" She knocked on her head, feeling like an idiot. "I forgot – Neji, this is Haku. We met him at Wave Country and he'll be staying with us from now on. Haku, this is Neji. He's our childhood friend and he owns the room next to yours."

"Yoroshiku!" Haku gave him a friendly salute.

"Haku is our new brother," Naruto said, covertly trying one last time to filch a tempura from the plate. Haku smiled at his words and, once again, failed attempt.

"New brother?" Neji asked, ignoring Naruto's pitiful whining.

"Yeah, papa's going to talk to the council about it tomorrow," Kagome handed the tempura plate to Haku who picked one off and popped it into his mouth.

"Unfair!" Naruto's protest fell on deaf ears. "Why does Haku get a piece and I don't?"

Kagome glared at him, "You've already had your bowl of ramen and I don't want you slobbering all over the dinner before papa comes home."

"But so did Haku!" Naruto sulked.

"But he doesn't slobber and I don't wanna hear another peep from you, Naru." She waved her cooking utensil threateningly.

"Peep," he taunted after a moment's silence, hiding behind Haku for cover.

Neji resigned himself to accepting the eccentricity of his friends. He nodded to Haku. The Uzumaki house is looking more and more like an orphanage - where the unwanted or abandoned children seek refuge. "I'm sure your dad will be home any minute now, just wait for a little while, Naruto." He stepped in before things got out of hand.

Kagome stopped in mid-swing before and continued to glare at innocent-looking Naruto for a few seconds. "Go set the table."

He obeyed immediately, knowing he'd stretched his sister's patience long enough.

Arashi made it to dinner in time, and it was the first time any of them witnessed the new addition to their family so flustered. Neji had the first impression that he had a lot of similarities with Haku, but the way the boy kept looking like a cornered animal whenever the Yondaime talked to him made him reevaluate his opinion.

"Haku-kun..." Arashi's brows wrinkled when his children snickered. "What?"

"It sounds funny," Naruto said.

"Ha_ku-kun_," Kagome added when their dad remained confused. "Why don't you just call him Haku?"

Arashi looked to Haku for permission. "I don't mind," the boy responded quietly, looking at the table top.

"Haku," Arashi tried again, "if you need anything, don't hesitate to ask for it, okay? Our home is your home now. Don't be a stranger."

"Yes sir," His gaze remained fixed on his food, his voice humble.

"And don't call me sir."

"Yes, Yondaime-sama," Haku replied ruefully.

Naruto laughed, earning him glares from his dad and sister. "Don't be rude, Naru," she chastised.

Arashi turned back to Haku, "Just call me Arashi." Then immediately wished he didn't because the boy gaped at him like he'd suggested something unforgivable. "What? It was just a suggestion..."

"Stop freaking out Haku, papa. He'll call you whatever he wants to call you, ne Haku? Neji still calls him Yondaime-sama," she rolled her eyes, obviously unimpressed. "I don't know why when we live in the same house and he's been repeatedly told to drop the keigo."

"That's because Neji doesn't know how to chillax," Naruto quipped.

"Chillax?" Arashi was confused, lost with the lingo.

"Chill and relax," his son explained, chewing on a mouthful of rice and fish. "That's because Neji was brought up to be a prim and proper lady," he told Haku. Kagome chuckled and Arashi had to bite back a smile.

'Prim and proper lady' Neji shot him a glare full of un-ladylike pain and torture.

Some time later, after Arashi convinced his children to _not_ have a sleepover in their family's newest addition's room, Haku still couldn't believe his luck. His mind ran in circles, tying to make sense of his new role in this newfound – family? The concept was still fresh to him, but certainly not disagreeable.

The man, no the Hokage – the twins' father – was very different from what he pictured a leader of a hidden shinobi village would be. Looking back, he shouldn't have been that surprised, seeing Naruto's and Kagome's breeding. Only a good man could raise children like them. He was everything Haku would have liked for a father, and he was genuinely surprised the man had been so accepting of him, considering. Their family wasn't perfect for sure, he was apprehensive to touch the subject of the absentee Uzumaki matriarch, but it was better than what he grew up with.

The other boy, Neji, wasn't as warm and friendly as the Yondaime, that's for sure, but he wasn't hostile either. He could tell the white eyed teen was someone who kept to himself and didn't say much. He had also yet to see this 'Ero Sennin' Naruto referred to and the other friends Kagome talked a lot about, and he was sure there were others whom he had yet to meet, but if they were anything like his newly adopted family, he was looking forward to meeting them.

His life, he mused while staring at his ceiling inside his new and first ever room to himself, had just turned over a new leaf. Pun not intended.

Days passed and the new addition to the Uzumaki household slowly found his place within the group. He had never been an official shinobi of any hidden village, but the Yondaime gave him the option of taking tests if he wanted to.

Naruto balked at this, remembering what Zabuza said about Haku not fit to be a true ninja because of his unwillingness to harm people, and Kagome suggested allowing him to help Arashi with his work. Arashi hesitantly reminded them that his work required shinobi of high clearance, and Haku humbly volunteered to stay at home and look after the house.

"Take your time deciding, Haku." Arashi-sama told him. "Don't rush yourself and set your own pace. When you're ready, you can do whatever you want. No one is pressuring you to do anything." That phrase was like the man's mantra to him. He was really nice. Haku really liked him.

ღ

Pink energy gathered on her hands as she aimed at her opponent. Pink light swirled mixed with black, dark, malicious power, before she released it in the face of her charging enemies. When the blinding flash subsided, she opened her eyes to see her adversaries on the ground. Lifeless bodies, some of them with their eyes still open and mouths agape held faces of absolute terror. No visible wounds or marks were on their bodies, but she could tell from their auras that they were clearly dead.

"Good work, my precious." A pasty-faced man with long black hair surveyed her work in approval, pride hinted in his voice. "You didn't even break a sweat. I should be careful, you might surpass me in a few years with the way you're improving." He was clearly teasing, but the humor was lost with the girl.

"You have nothing to fear from me, father." She replied, perplexed. "I will not betray you."

His face twisted into what might have been a smile, patted her on the head in obvious affection. "That was a joke. You need to relax."

"I apologize," Her eyes were downcast. A grey-haired teenager with glasses and a short ponytail examined the dead bodies as they talked. Green chakra flowed from his hand as he did. She looked indifferent, but she observed his actions through the corner of her eyes as much as she could.

Her father sighed. "You're too serious for your own good sometimes."

The young teen walked towards them, deactivating his hands. "They're all dead, sir. Instantaneous, quick and mostly physically painless assuming from the lack of bodily traumas, but definitely emotionally traumatic, if I were to judge on the expression on their faces. There is also considerable brain damage," he nodded to his superior.

"Good work, Kabuto." Orochimaru said. "Is there anything else? How are the effects of the attack on her?" The sannin waited patiently, watched quietly as his subordinate did a quick full body scan of the girl.

"She appears fine, but I wouldn't recommend the use of this attack more than once a day at most. It takes a toll on her chakra reserves and might cause..." he paused to find the right word to describe her, settled on a something that would be suitable, "_cell_ damage if abused."

"Did you hear that?" Orochimaru turned to her. "Don't use this attack unless you absolutely need to. I forbid it, do you understand?" He waited for her nod obediently. "Use it only in an emergency and never more than once."

She would have nodded again if not for – "You!" the girl whose face Kagome couldn't see turned to her, aura screaming outrage. "Get out of my head! Right now! Get out! Get out! Get out!!!" The girl screamed repeatedly, sending several bursts of energy to punctuate her demands. The ones named Orochimaru and Kabuto were asking the girl what was wrong but Kagome could only feel the attacks from the girl.

Kagome woke up with a silent scream in her throat as she sat up in her bed, absolutely terrified. It took her several seconds to realize that she was back in the safety of her room, away from the girl's killing intent. "It was just a dream," she told herself as she tried to calm her furiously beating heart. Whoever that faceless scary girl was couldn't hurt her now, it was just a dream. But what a realistic dream it had been! It almost seemed and felt like she was walking in the girl's shoes, seeing the whole thing with the girl's eyes up until the point where the girl attacked her.

She frowned, trying to make sense of her weird dream. She had a long history of having bad nightmares, Papa and Naruto could attest to that, but they've never been as surreal and scary as this one. Logically, her recurring dream about a giant spider-baboon man was scarier, but this one... this one felt so familiar. The promise of death in the angry girl's voice had been so real, hate pouring out of her in waves. And it was all directed towards her.

Trembling like a leaf, Kagome stepped out of her bedroom and quietly made her way down the hall. Arms tightly wrapped around her pillow, her feet silently marched towards a very familiar direction. She could do this in her sleep, having done it countless of times, opened the door and noiselessly stepped inside. Not a single sound was made as she closed it behind her.

"Gome?" Blond hair stuck out in all directions as a groggy voice asked from the bed. Naruto sat on his elbows, squinting at the indistinguishable darkness of his room. Neither of them ever wondered about Naruto's uncanny ability to sense Kagome's need for company after a bad nightmare, and neither of them questioned it, attributing it to the bond they shared.

"I had a bad dream." Kagome inched closer toward the bed.

Naruto didn't need to hear anything else, lifting his blanket as he made room for her and her pillow. She needed no further invitation, jumping under the covers and snuggled close to bask in the safe haven. He always knew how to calm her down after a bad nightmare. She was lucky to have the best brother in the whole world. Scary Girl would never be able to touch her now. The thought calmed her down and sleep took over quickly.

"You've been stressing yourself too much," Naruto sleepily mumbled into his sister's hair, stroking it gently, like the way she liked it. It soothed her, he learned through the years. "Maybe you should make up with Sasuke," he pushed, knowing she wouldn't lash out and bop him on the head at this state.

In response, she snuggled even closer, even breaths fanning the nook between his neck and shoulder. He looked down, even if he couldn't see much through the darkness, sighed, and hugged his sister closer, letting it go. There was no use talking to her since she'd already fallen asleep within the blink of an eye.

He pressed a chaste kiss on her forehead. At least Sasuke couldn't blame him for not trying. He'd already done his part as the bastard's friend.

Teme was on his own now.

ღ

"Did something happen between you and Sasuke?"

The question caught Kagome off-guard, causing her to knock over her tea cup. Itachi's fast reflexes saved it from crashing on the floor but she had to stand up to avoid the spilled tea that dripped from the table top to her lap. Regretfully, she wasn't as fast as he was so her skirt soaked up a little amount before she was able to get out of the way.

A while later, after a server from the dango shop they were eating in cleaned up the mess and refilled their cups, Itachi regarded her thoughtfully while nibbling on his dango stick.

He wasn't blind.

While the constant use of sharingan took its toll on his eyes, he still possessed perfect vision. Technically, if you were referring to his eyesight per se, the reason behind his non-blindness despite the stress caused from using his Mangekyou was because Kagome insisted on giving him regular check ups. Forced it upon him really, threatening him with going blind and going to such lengths as stalking him if he refused her care. She wasn't a certified medic-nin yet but her healing skills were one in a million. He wasn't talking about physically seeing with his eyes though.

No, he was talking about his little brother's strange behavior recently. It all centered on the fidgety girl sitting in front of him. If the shock she displayed from his question wasn't proof enough, her nervous mannerisms and avoidance of eye contact were enough to make him suspicious.

"What happened?"

Kagome had been walking on cloud nine when Itachi asked if she wanted to go get some dango today. She was certain he didn't consider this a 'date' date, but that didn't prevent her from pretending it was anyway. It wasn't unheard of Itachi to treat her but she always made sure she looked her best anyway. Who knows? Maybe her efforts were finally going to pay off someday and his eyes were going to open up to her charms. Yes, they were non-existent and she had the sex appeal of a tree trunk but it certainly didn't hurt to hope... or delude herself into thinking that she had a chance.

She shook her head in response to his question, playing with the edge of her skirt. "Nothing," she hoped her voice didn't sound as nervous as she felt. Her insides quivered, hating herself for not telling him the truth. Luck was on her side this time though, in the form of Genma, who smiled brightly when he spotted them.

"Hey Chiati!" The man had no fear, walking over and merrily slapping Itachi on the back while grinning at him and Kagome. "Hello, Kagome-chan. Out on a date, I assume?" Needing no invitation, he plopped himself down on the bench next to Itachi, enjoying the feathers he ruffled with his one sentence.

Color quickly rose on Kagome's face as all the blood rushed to it and she tripped over her words. "W-we're not on a d-date, Genma-san!"

"You look so cute when you're embarrassed, Kagome-chan," he ignored Itachi's glare and held himself from pinching the girl's cheeks. He liked to tease his friend and his friend's almost-girlfriend, but he wasn't dumb enough to push past his limits. That and he valued his life. He knew Itachi probably didn't see him on the same friendly terms he did. "I was just teasing, but the more you deny it, the more I want to believe it."

"Meanie!" Kagome glared at him.

Genma laughed at her, waving a shop staff over and giving her his order before turning back to them. "So Chiati," he ignored the death glare he received for massacring the name, "that was some mission you were in, huh? The survivors of the first squad they sent are still in the hospital. I heard their only hope is if someone of Tsunade-sama's caliber cures them."

"What happened to them, Genma-san?" Kagome was thankful for the change of topic but was horrified at the same time.

Genma thought about it for a moment while Itachi shook his head.

"Nothing you need to concern yourself about," he stated. He wanted to spare her the gory details, but the irritating Genma who took too many liberties with him had a different idea.

"I guess I can tell you since it's not a secret," Genma nodded to himself. He thanked the server who set his order in front of him and took a bite before continuing, "I believe it happened around the time you were out on a mission, Kagome-chan. A squad was on a routine patrol mission and went missing for a few days. Chiati's squad was sent to look for them and they were found two days later."

"The bodies they found..." He gave an exaggerated shudder.

"That's enough," Itachi warned, shaking his head and trying not to reach over to cover Kagome's ears so she wouldn't hear what Genma was going to say next. Genma gave him a look that said 'don't worry, I won't say anything bad' before he continued.

"They were burnt beyond recognition and the survivors have considerable psychological damage that none of the medics could cure." He addressed Itachi, "I heard the older special jounins talking about a similar thing happening several years ago."

"Hn." Genma and Kagome both frowned at the non-answer he gave.

"What do you think happened to them, Genma-san?"

He shrugged. "I wish I could tell you, Kagome-chan. I honestly have no idea what went on... and I doubt even the nins investigating it are sure of what happened. I'm sure we'd all like to know what jutsu was used to create fire strong enough to make charcoals out of human remains. I thought it was just another rumor. There are lots of talks about weird deaths lately, and not just in Fire Country. I heard about this incident in Sand, a whole platoon wiped out with no marks on the bodies whatsoever." He refrained from shuddering. "A new jutsu is invented everyday, but I'd sure like to know what techniques they used to do those things."

"Naru has a new fire jutsu. I don't think it's hot enough to turn bodies into charcoal though," Kagome remembered out loud, frowning. "Even if it was strong enough to burn through Haku's ice jutsu."

"Haku? He's that new," Genma thought of another word to use than 'stray', "- _friend_ who's living with you, isn't he? I heard about him too." He grinned at Itachi while he enjoyed his dango. "Have you met him yet?"

"No," Kagome answered in behalf of the Uchiha. "We're throwing him a welcoming party this soon. Would you like to come?"

"No," Itachi answered at the same time Genma said "I'd love to!"

"He can't come," Itachi grit out.

"Of course I could," Genma countered. "I'd love to," he insisted.

Kagome smiled at him, "I'm sure Haku would love to meet you, Genma-san." And he smiled at Itachi in triumph.

"I don't see him a lot but this'll give me a chance to take a look at Naruto-kun's jutsu then."

"Cool!" Kagome chirped.

"It must be something," he continued, "I heard he saved Sasuke-kun's life with it? What's wrong, Kagome-chan? Why are you blushing? Did I say something wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong, Genma-san!" Kagome quickly denied as she saw Itachi's questioning glance trained at her, like a hawk in waiting. She started to sweat under his scrutiny. Furthermore, she took the coward's way out, thanking her lucky stars that the presence of Genma would keep Itachi from going with her.

"Um, I just remembered... I have to..." eyes shifted from side to side, indicating she was lying, "help uh, Haku, yeah! I have to go um, go talk to papa about that thing... and I have to go home and help Haku with something..." Her laughter was forced and the smile she tossed him was crooked but she just had to get out of here fast, before she spilled the beans. "You know how he's still settling in and all... Um, we'll do this again some time, ne?"

She was gone before he could open his mouth to respond. That was the fastest he's ever seen her move to date. Yup, something was definitely up and if he wanted to know what it was, he just had to go to his brother to ask now, didn't he?

ღ

"Oh my God! I can't believe he did that!"

"Sssh! Keep it down, Hinata. I don't want your dad or Hana-chan to hear!"

Hinata's eyes were wide with shock, mouth open from her friend's revelation. "I can't believe he did that!"

"I know, I know. You don't have to repeat it several times," Kagome resisted the urge to shake her. "And keep it down, will you!"

Hinata blinked twice before she closed her mouth and continued to stare at her friend in disbelief. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"You were out on a mission, remember? And I had to get you alone," eyes darted around to see if the younger Hyuuga sister was around. The little squirt always had a knack for eavesdropping on their conversations. She'd make a great spy one day, in Kagome's opinion, a useful shinobi for their village; she just didn't want her bestfriend's sister to spy on them right now.

"So what happened next?" Hinata asked, curiosity gnawing at her.

Kagome frowned, brows furrowing. "What do you mean what happened next? That's all there is to it, end of story. Nothing else happened."

"You're not talking to him, are you?" Hinata guessed, reading her friend's reaction. "And..." her milky white eyes widened into saucers, "Itachi-san doesn't know, does he?"

"Of course not! And don't you tell him!"

"Why haven't you told him!?" Hinata gasped, feeling her shock and surprise escalate, and then having a sneaking suspicion. "You... did you... did you like it? I mean, how was it?" She might not be an expert at reading mannerisms like most of her family, but she could read her friend like the back of her hand even with her eyes closed, blindfolded and her hands tied behind her back.

"O-of course not!" Kagome denied, red in the face. "I'm very mad at him right now, I haven't even talked to him since then and I'm never going to talk to him ever again! I'm not even going to mention his name!"

"But you have to face it some time!" Hinata pointed out.

"I don't wanna talk about it! It happened, he'll pay for it, I'm not talking to him right now and I just want to forget it."

"But -"

Kagome held her fingers up to her ears to block out whatever else her friend wanted to say. "Lalalalalalalalala! I can't hear you!"

Thankfully, Hanabi chose that time to join their discussion, inviting herself into her sister's room, and Hinata was forced to let it go for now, but not before sending her friend one last 'we'll talk about this more later' look.

ღ

"Pervert."

The reply was a hot glare which was ignored.

"Defiler of maidens."

He snorted and rolled his eyes.

"Kissing bandit!"

"Usuratonkachi."

"Mini Jiraiya!"

"Hey!" he finally reacted.

"You stole her first kiss! Now my sister is ruined for marriage! No one will want her and she'll have to spend her life as a spinster!" The blond continued his dramatic tirade, ignoring his raven haired friend glaring daggers at him while pacing in their spacious living room. They were alone in the Uzumaki house for now. Neji was out on a mission, Kagome still hasn't returned from her errand earlier this morning, and Haku was with his father. "I'm never going to have a niece and/or nephew! I'll never experience the life of an uncle spoiling his cute little nieces and nephews while they complain about the strictness of their parents, and I'll never be called 'uncle' by anyone! This is all your fault, teme!!!"

"Shut up, dobe. The whole neighborhood could hear you." Sasuke interrupted Naruto at mid-rant by extending his leg to trip the boy when he walked in front of the sofa where the Uchiha was sitting on.

Naruto narrowly avoided crashing into his father's precious collection of sharp weaponry, carefully mounted on one side of the wall in their living room.

"So where is she?" Sasuke ignored Naruto's threats about skewering him with one of the weapons on the wall, looking around while stretching his senses out in hopes of sensing Kagome hiding out in her room or lurking around to avoid him. He could hear at least one other person in the house aside from him and Naruto.

"She's gone to see 'tousan," Naruto replied after venting for a bit, then grinned. "She's still avoiding you because you're a bastard."

"Shut up, dobe."

Haku, who was still in shock at the generosity his new family showed by providing him a new wardrobe and thoroughly exhausted from Kagome's slave-driver persona when it came to shopping for his stuff with him, was startled by the loud noises outside. Sounds of skin being hit and hair being pulled were what greeted him as he rounded the corner towards the living room, and he had to break up the fight before it escalated.

ღ

Arashi mentally sighed, giving up trying to make sense of the extremely important document he was currently reading. His arm lowered and blue eyes fell on his daughter who was innocently observing him.

"Was there something in particular that you wanted to talk to me about?"

She shook her head, no.

"Are you sure?"

His shoulders dropped when she nodded, looking like a kicked puppy.

"Am I bothering you?" The visible distress on her face tugged at his heart strings and he found himself assuring her she wasn't. "Because I could leave if I'm just getting in your way..."

She sounded so pitiful, he felt doubly guilty for bringing up the topic of her impromptu visit to his office in the first place. "You're not, honey. I like spending time with you." He glanced at the paperwork on his desk which seemed to have doubled in size the last time he blinked, "But I have work to do. I'm not going to be good company. Why don't you go hang out with your Hinata-chan -"

"She has training with her father."

"I'm sure your brother -"

She huffed and crossed her arms.

"- or Haku. I'm sure he'll love your company."

"If you don't want me here, you could just say so."

Arashi sighed wearily. "You know I don't mean to say that. You can stay here whenever you want." When she continued to look doubtful, he added, "Just stop staring at me. It makes me self-conscious."

Kagome grinned. Who knew the great Yellow Flash of Konoha had such a weakness? She was never going to tell her father what was bothering her, but she felt comforted by his company. She loved Hinata dearly, but there was just something about her dad's presence that calmed her. Her brother made her feel the same way too, but she wasn't ready to face Sasuke yet... Itachi was out of the question, of course, as proven by their earlier conversation, and Neji had a mission. He wasn't available to hang out with her at the moment.

"I promise not to stare at you while you work." She waved an old scroll in the air, "I'll be busy reading this anyway."

"What is it about?" Curiosity piqued, Arashi asked.

Wrinkling her nose, she answered, "The art of making paper servants."

Arashi raised a brow at his daughter's description. "Shikigami?"

"More like lame-agami," she mumbled under her breath. "Mushin-sama disapproved of my use of summons so he's making me learn this," wrinkled her nose distastefully, "in hopes I'll _un_learn my summoning. He says it's safer for someone as 'reckless' as me."

Arashi hid his smile, silently agreeing with the monk's decision if it was indeed a safer technique. "Don't you like it?"

Kagome shrugged, "Meh," haphazardly waving a hand in the air. "I have to use chakra _and_ paper, unlike my summoning jutsu. Too much hassle," she complained, frowning. "My shikigami are only as strong as I make them to be, unlike my summons that are strong on their own. And I think Mushin-sama's making me do this as a punishment because he found out I disobeyed him. I wanted to learn more about aura manipulation, but he hid the scrolls from me."

Work forgotten, Arashi leaned forward in interest. "Aura manipulation?" Even as Hokage, the techniques the monk taught his daughter weren't any he was familiar with. He'd always suspected Kagome was capable of influencing their auras, her bursts of pure emotion became rarer growing up, due to her training with her monk sensei, he guessed, but he never knew she could learn to control it at will and use it as a tool. The old man liked to boast about how much knowledge he was imparting his student, so why wasn't Mushin teaching it to her?

"He says I have to prove myself worthy of learning that technique first. 'If you can't even remember the rules to your summoning, how do you expect me to teach you this high level, powerful technique, Kagome-sama? It'll take you a hundred years of training before you master all the basic techniques, with the way you're slacking off.'," Kagome said in her best impression of Mushin.

"He has a point," Arashi amused himself with his daughter's obvious displeasure, puffed out cheeks, arms crossed and protruding lip topped with a glare. "Maybe you can win his favor if you show him you're studying hard."

"Maybe you can ask to take a peek at the scrolls, borrow them from him and then _kindly_ let _me_ have a peek at them without Mushin-sama knowing," his daughter countered, grinning innocently.

The look on his face clearly said 'not on your life, missy'.

"Come on! Please? Pretty please, papa?" she said in her sweetest 'don't you just love your beloved daughter' voice, in hopes to sway him. "I sort of have some of the basics down, but I need the scrolls for guidance."

When he continued to look amused, she pushed further. "Aren't you curious to know what the technique is about? Maybe you can learn this one too."

The corner of Arashi's mouth quirked in response. Bribery was, predictably, always his daughter's second tactic to make him more pliable. "Of course I'm curious, but I know you'll get into more trouble if Mushin-sama finds out you went behind his back for those scrolls. You'll get _me_ into trouble with him too."

"Keh," his daughter sniffed, wrinkling her nose. At least she tried. Thinking quickly, she switched tactics. "Then why don't you let me take a peek at one of those forbidden scrolls you have. I'm sure they're far more interesting than making shikigami."

Arashi didn't know if he should be amused or angry. He grinned like a rascal. "I'll let you take a quick peek at it once you're a jounin and not a day earlier."

"But Naru read it already! Why can't I?"

His grin vanished, replaced by a fierce frown. "Your brother _stole_ the scroll and got punished for it dearly. You know he wasn't supposed to do that." He leveled a stare in her direction, as if he was holding her partially responsible for the whole fiasco Naruto caused.

"Unfair," Kagome mumbled under her breath, lowering her eyes to her scroll when her father looked angry, remembering what Naruto did for Kiba's dare. She shouldn't have mentioned Naru's stunt, in hindsight. Papa clearly didn't find it as funny as the rest of them did.

Thinking of a way to get out of the hole she started digging herself, she quickly concentrated and sent a small burst of calming energy towards her father. She was an extreme novice at it and she really didn't have any idea of what she was doing, but she figured it was worth a try. If they didn't want her experimenting on her own, then they should train her properly. She risked a peek at the corner of her eyes to see if it worked, and she almost thought it didn't when her father suddenly giggled.

The action caught both of them in surprise; Kagome because she'd never seen her father do it before and Arashi because he was appalled at what he just did. Manly Hokages did _not_ giggle!

They stared at each other for a few seconds until Arashi snickered at his daughter's look of astonishment. He didn't know why he felt like laughing at even the littlest things, but he couldn't help himself. Kagome wasn't affected, but the sight of her dad laughing sent her into her own set of giggles.

"I don't know why but I can't stop myself," Arashi said as someone knocked on the door. He schooled his features and tried to look stoic, but failed, then called for the visitor to come in.

The door opened and a Chuunin carrying more paperwork walked in. Arashi took one look at the stack of papers and moaned, still unable to keep the smile off his face. The Chuunin carefully placed the documents on the Hokage's desk and smiled back at him when he saw that the Yondaime was smiling.

"Thank you, Kamizuki-kun."

Kamizuki Izumo tried to gather himself as he nodded respectfully at his Hokage, relying on his training to ignore the surprising giddiness bubbling inside of him. He spotted the Hokage's daughter sitting inside the room and planned on giving her a brief smile.

His own giggle startled him.

He clamped a hand on his mouth and his eyes got large, confused at what came over him. He felt so embarrassed, with the Hokage and his daughter looking at him like he'd just lost his marbles. Nobody could blame them, really. What got into him? Why was he giggling like a schoolgirl?

"I –" he struggled to get his tittering under control, "I don't know what's gotten into me, Hokage-sama." Large, almost horrified eyes looked apologetically at the Yondaime even as he twittered some more.

Arashi replied with sniggering of his own, looking as confused as he was.

Unable to keep her amusement under wraps, Kagome burst into chuckles, realizing this was the result of her failed experiment. She didn't know exactly what she did and what caused this, but she was sure the effect was going to wear off in a few minutes... wasn't it? She chuckled some more and that was all it took for the two men. They too were laughing seconds later, for unknown reasons, thoroughly confused as to why they were amused in the first place.

Nobody knew what the reason for the cheerful mood in the Hokage Tower that day, and Kagome went home before her father could start suspecting her. Her dad did question her about it with his tried and tested 'Is there anything you want to tell me?' technique, but she dodged it by asking to be taught his signature Flying Thunder God Technique if he wasn't willing to let her peek at those forbidden scrolls before she became a jounin.

He answered with the usual, "Not until you're older and more experienced," and they both dropped the subjects.

Avoiding Sasuke got harder and harder each day, more so when she ran out of excuses and things to acquaint Haku with in his new life at their village. She couldn't even seek sanctuary in her own home anymore because of her traitorous brother.

"Hey Gome, look who's here for a visit!" Naruto tried to look innocent while his sister stared him down. Today was one of the better days. Yesterday when Sasuke dragged him to corner his sister at the oden shop, Kagome kicked his shin in a fit. He took a precautionary step back, just in case.

ღ

Arashi rolled his shoulders to ease the tension from his limbs. He had a hard day today, compared to the previous one full of giggles, and he couldn't wait to get home. As soon as he stepped into the living room, however, he quickly lost his relaxed attitude.

His children were locked in some sort of weird four-way tension-filled silent combat.

Kagome had a fierce frown on her face, cheeks puffed in irritation. Naruto and Hinata looked very uncomfortable; Hinata wrung her hands together while Naruto looked like he was wishing for the floor to swallow him whole. And Sasuke... well, the young Uchiha was glaring daggers at Kagome, who was obviously ignoring him. The only thing they all had in common were the identical red tint on their cheeks. What had he just walked into?

Arashi looked from one blushing face to another and decided that he didn't really want to know. He cleared his throat, hoping to alleviate the awkward atmosphere he just stumbled into, directing his next question to his children's bestfriends. "So I take it you'll be attending the welcoming celebration we're throwing for Haku this weekend?"

ღ

"Oh look," Naruto sided up to Haku as he observed his friend, "It looks like Sasuke's going to try and talk to Gome again." The people in Haku's welcoming party were clustered in small groups, talking amongst themselves after getting introduced to the new boy. There weren't a lot of guests present, just intimate friends upon the insistence of the kids, citing that Haku could get to know the whole village little by little as he made his transition and not everyone at once.

Some of them haven't arrived yet, but the grownups Mushin, Arashi, Jiraiya and Kakashi were in one group, drinking sake, while Naruto stood together with Haku and Miroku. They watched as Sasuke approached cautiously, like one would when approaching a wild animal.

"What are we looking at?" Miroku asked as he stood next to the two spectators, following their line of sight while nibbling on a barbeque stick. The food was really good.

"We're watching Teme put the moves on my sister," Naruto replied, not taking his eyes off his bestfriend. Haku watched quietly beside him.

"Oh man," Miroku moaned, digging in his robes' pocket. "Now I owe Kakashi-san money. I wonder if I brought enough..." he mused to himself, counting his pocket change.

Haku cocked his head to one side, briefly confused. "Are monks allowed to gamble?"

Miroku smiled, pleased to know he had enough to pay up and spare change to make one more bet. "No, so don't tell my grandfather. I know he knows I wager with Kakashi-san and Jiraiya-sama but I'm safe as long as I pretend to at least have the decency to hide it from him as much as I could," He grinned at the boy. He had much to learn, this new friend of his, and much to get used to.

Haku didn't know what to make of this weird monk whom Naruto referred to as one of the 'the three legendary perverts', so he kept his mouth shut as a wary eye kept close watch on Miroku while the three of them observed the Uchiha's attempts quietly for several moments. He'd already met Jiraiya and he made the mistake of thinking he was relatively safe, like Kakashi, and he wasn't going to make the same mistake ever again.

"Shouldn't you be helping him, Naruto-kun?" Miroku questioned. "He looks like he needs it."

"Bastard claimed he didn't need help," Naruto scoffed. "So I'm going to watch and enjoy myself while Romeo crashes and burns."

"Kagome threatened bodily harm and something about a marshmallow," Haku confided to Miroku.

"Ah!" Miroku nodded sagely. Now he understood. "Um..." thinking of something to repay Haku for the information, he thought quickly. "I like your braided buns," he said.

Haku fingered his hair consciously. Kagome had insisted on doing his hair everyday, giving him a different hairstyle each time, and he was unable to refuse or say no so he was stuck with elaborate coiffures fit for the opposite sex. Today he was sporting a braided bun on each side, intricately woven and set in place; a hairdo fit for a princess... which he most definitely was not.

It looked good on him though, even Arashi and Naruto said so, so he didn't complain.

"Thank you, Miroku-san."

"I don't think he'll have any luck talking to her like that," Naruto observed, turning their attention back to Sasuke. "Oooh," he winced, "He shouldn't have done that." Miroku shushed him and leaned forward to catch what the young Uchiha was saying.

"So you're just going to ignore me?" Sasuke continued, focusing on Kagome alone as he ignored a very uncomfortable-looking Hinata beside them. "We're not even going to talk about what happened? If you're mad at me, hit me or something."

Hinata gave him a pitying glance, feeling bad for the silent treatment he's getting, but choosing to semi-ignore him out of loyalty for her bestfriend.

"So that's it? We're never going to talk to each other again. For the rest of our lives and as Team Seven, you'll never talk to me or acknowledge I exist ever again. Even when we go to missions where you need to talk to me, you'll just ignore me, right?" He was talking up a storm but he was at his patience's end. Getting ignored and treated like he was lesser than the worst scum in the world would do that.

Hinata couldn't decide which was more painful... watching Sasuke attempt to talk to Kagome or having a tooth removed without anesthesia. "Um, Sasuke-kun," she whispered in a low voice only the three of them could hear, "people are starting to stare at us."

Sasuke shot her an annoyed glance, not because she said anything to offend him, but because he was still frustrated with Kagome. "Then tell your friend to stop sulking and start talking to me again," he demanded.

"Um..." White eyes darted from her friend's face to her bestfriend.

"Tell him, Hinata," Kagome finally spoke, "that 'your friend' doesn't want to talk to him right now because of what he did and will continue to be ignored until he apologizes. And your friend doesn't want just any normal apology. He must mean it or else he shouldn't apologize at all."

Hinata looked at Sasuke who clearly heard the message she was supposed to tell him. They didn't really need her to repeat the things they said, did they? He was looking exasperatedly at Kagome, but he addressed Hinata with his next statement. "Tell your friend that 'he' doesn't need to apologize because he did nothing wrong, and that she should just get over it because she's acting really childish."

Kagome flicked invisible lint on her lint-free shirt, hand shaking in controlled anger, before she said to Hinata: "Tell him to step away before I rearrange his organs for him."

"Tell her she is welcome to try but I doubt she could really do it."

"Tell him to watch his mouth or else he could forget about having children in the future."

Sasuke snorted. "Tell her she's not scaring me."

Hinata watched them trade barbs like a spectator at a hanetsuki match. Threats, stinging insults on the part of Kagome, arrogant snorts on the part of Sasuke, ultimatums, and other words exchanged through Hinata flew, making the girl dizzy.

"Tell him to go away now, Hinata."

"Who's 'him'?" Itachi joined their little circle, looking at the trio curiously. Kagome, Hinata and Sasuke jumped at his appearance. Where'd _he_ come from? The man just came out of thin air, it seemed.

"Naruto!" Kagome suddenly blurted out. Hinata looked at her with wide eyes. "Hinata needs to tell him to go away now because she needs to um, talk to him about uh, something..."

Hinata looked at Itachi, who was now looking at her, with wider eyes.

"Isn't that right, Hinata?" Kagome elbowed her friend.

Hinata squeaked painfully. Stammered, "A-ano... h- uh... y-yes!" then quickly turned and went straight to Naruto, who shot his sister a 'you owe me' look before he grabbed Hinata's wrist and led her outside. The Hyuuga looked paler than an anemic ghost.

"I hope she doesn't faint before she gets to tell Naruto-kun whatever it is she's telling him."

Kagome smiled at Itachi's words, waving at Genma who was now talking to Haku.

Sasuke looked put out with his brother's interruption.

ღ

"So," Jiraiya sipped his sake and nodded where Haku was at, "another one, huh?" Kakashi and Mushin nursed their own cups beside him.

Arashi nodded at his sensei's question.

"Wave country?" Jiraiya continued, motioned for Kakashi to pour him another cup which the jounin obliged. "What're you gonna do with the kid?" He came 'home' one day and found another addition to Arashi's brood. His student sure knew how to make more children without a wife.

"He's a nice young man," Arashi thanked Kakashi as the jounin also freshened his cup. "He could be a ninja if he wants to, despite the council's reservations, but the kids insist that he should become a florist."

Kakashi looked amused.

"At least he's not evil." Mushin interjected. "I don't sense any jyaki from him."

Arashi rolled his eyes, said sarcastically, "And if your senses were wrong, I'm sure that ofuda you slapped on his forehead while screeching 'Demon be gone!' was sure to have worked."

Mushin ignored his sarcasm. Sniffed importantly, "Of course it would've worked! If he were some demon in disguise or someone with a dark heart, he would've been purified on the spot."

"Are you always in the habit of 'purifying' innocent folk thinking they're demons?"

"He's been doing it a lot lately," Arashi answered his sensei, leaning towards the sannin to loudly whisper. "The old age has done damage to his brain." A finger rotated clockwise on his ear.

Mushin glared at him. "It's a safety precaution." Mumbled under his breath, "Now that she hit puberty..."

"Speaking of demons," Jiraiya treaded carefully, motioning with his cup at Naruto. "I heard from Kakashi that there was an incident?"

Arashi winced. "The council grilled me for it, but I assured them that my seal is still firmly in place." Frowned at his sake, "I think Naruto subconsciously figured out how to tap into the Kyuubi's power. The seal will hold, but my theory with Mushin-sama's is that he now has access to two sources of chakra - his own and the Kyuubi's." A hand massaged his forehead, "I'm not nervous about the fox escaping, but I can imagine the concern they have."

"For the first time in several years, I recalled what it's like to feel fear again," Kakashi added wryly. The four men sat in silence for several moments.

"Well," Mushin said, attempting to alleviate the somber atmosphere that suddenly blanketed them, "The good news is Naruto-kun will be able to use that to his advantage and power up his attacks. I _did_ tell you that before, didn't I?"

ღ

Catching his brother alone was harder than he originally thought, but he found the perfect opportunity while they walked home together after Haku's party.

"What happened between you and Kagome?" Itachi demanded in a soft voice, masking the menace underneath the question but leaving no room for argument at the same time.

Sasuke would've answered the question regardless, but he refused to let his niisan intimidate him. He stopped in the middle of the empty street, as if to ponder his niisan's question. "What makes you think something happened?"

"You're both acting suspicious, you've made a fool of yourself to get her to talk to you, she's been ignoring you, she wouldn't talk about you even with me, and I overheard parts of Naruto-kun's very interesting conversation with the others the other day," Itachi replied pointedly. "Did you really think I wouldn't notice?" He asked sarcastically.

Sasuke had to admit, grudgingly, that his niisan was right. "It's nothing really," he said, thinking hard. How should he phrase it? "I... we... sort of had an incident in our last mission and now refuses to talk to me. She'll come around, eventually." He was proud of the conviction he heard behind his own words.

"Incident?" Itachi questioned.

A pair of hooded onyx eyes watched his brother carefully as he said the next words. "We kissed." There. He said it. Now his niisan knew. What now?

"You what?"

"Well, I took the initiative and kissed her, but we kissed none the less. She's mad at me for -" his eyes widened at the expression on Itachi's face. His niisan was furious and all the rage seemed to be directed at him.

"Why did you do that?" Itachi's voice could've frozen an active volcano.

Sasuke shrugged as indifferently as he could. "It seemed like a good idea at the time. She wouldn't shut up and we all thought I just came back from the dead. The mood was just right. You're not mad at me, are you?" He feigned innocence, pretending to be surprised at the thought of his brother taking offense to what he did.

"She's mine, Sasuke." Itachi narrowed eyes at him, stepping forward and getting straight to the point. "I won't tolerate anyone taking what's mine, not even my little brother."

"She's not yours! Never have been, never will be." Sasuke retorted; angered at the possessiveness his niisan was showing.

"It's only a matter of time," Itachi stated matter of factly, so confident of his statement, causing Sasuke's eyes to narrow in displeasure.

"Yeah, well whatever." Sasuke spat venomously, knew he was acting childish but he couldn't help it. He'd never gotten into a fight or argument with his brother before, but he didn't regret anything he said. Itachi got all the good things and was better just because he was older. It was high time he one-upped him. "I'll always be her first kiss," the words spilled out of his mouth.

He held his ground and tried not to feel afraid when his brother stared him down. Was this the part where they start throwing punches now? Were they really fighting anyway? Was his brother mad at what he just said? His mind ran in circles, overwhelmed at what his mouth just spouted.

Itachi stared at his little brother for several minutes, hours, days... weeks... years, it felt like. He didn't wish to get into a disagreement with his brother, yet he couldn't back down from the spoken challenge. His eyes were unnaturally cold, like black diamonds when he finally spoke, confidence oozing from every pore of his body.

"You might be her first kiss little brother," He leaned forward until their faces were almost touching as he hissed, "but I'll always be her first love."

ღ

Sasuke was still fuming about what his brother said, days later when Kakashi summoned them for 'an urgent meeting'. The jounin was late as always, so he leaned on the red bridge and took the time to brood as he waited with his teammates.

First love indeed! He knew his brother was only stating the facts, hell, everyone in Konoha and the next village over probably knew the girl was drawn to Itachi, but that didn't mean it sat well with him, having the fact thrown at his face like that.

He'd lost that round with his brother, knocked out of the ring with that one sentence. At this rate, he wouldn't even stand a chance if his niisan got serious. Gah! What to do?

Naruto wisely kept his distance away from Sasuke. His friend looked like he was in his intense emo mode and he knew there were dire consequences to be paid if he interrupted the Uchiha's serious musing. This was one of those times that he'd be better off leaving him alone than prodding him out of his reverie.

Thus, with his friend on one end of the bridge, probably pondering the meaning of life, where babies came from or something profound along those lines – and his sister on the other end studiously reading another of her scrolls, Naruto was bored out of his mind. His brain shut down after he counted the fiftieth fish that swam under the bridge and there was only so much of nature he could listen to until he was at the end of his patience.

Imagining the ways of how to torture Kakashi-sensei when he came weren't even fun anymore. Luckily, the super tardy jounin appeared with a puff of smoke an hour later, smiling like all was well in the world on top of the red arc of the bridge.

"Good news, my precious genin brats," Kakashi ignored the indignant glares and angry 'you're late!!!' accusations he received, getting straight to the point. "Being the kind, generous, helpful, concerned, great teacher that I am," the disrespectful eye-rolls and snorts rolled off him like water on a duck's back, "have recommended you three for the Chuunin Exams!"

● ● ●

**Hanetsuki** – Japanese badminton

**Notes:** I'll try not to write a long author's note since my new muse doesn't like it, but I hope this really long chapter made up for the long wait. Who's the girl with Orochimaru? You'll probably find out in the next chapter or the one after that. I wasn't very happy with this chapter, but I have to keep writing or else I'll lose interest in the fic. Thank you to everyone who reviewed the previous chapter.


	9. Chuunin Exams

**Chapter 9: Chuunin Exams  
o4.23.o7**  
This chapter is for** Sadist Sai **and everyone who reviewed/threatened me to update, making sure I, the laziest moogle in the kupo bunch, continued to type. **♥**

● ● ●

They were both going to die.

It was laughable how she didn't feel the slightest hint of fear around Ryuk and the others yet her body was literally frozen in terror because of a single look from Mr. Pasty Faced Scary Man. She would've checked to see how Sasuke was faring beside her but that was impossible to do while her life flashed before her eyes and she tasted death in her mouth.

She'd always hoped she'd die gloriously, perhaps in a heroic act of sacrifice to save the village or her loved ones, or if she were lucky enough ― peacefully, from old age after seeing her children have children of their own. She wasn't picky really, death was a natural part of life and although she knew everyone around her would have to die at a certain point, despite whatever she did to prevent it, that didn't mean it prepared her to face her own demise _right now_.

Even if she wanted to blame Kakashi-sensei for signing them up for this exam, she knew she was just making excuses for herself. This was nobody's fault but hers ― because she was too weak and couldn't do anything to protect herself or her teammates. Now Naru was gone, eaten by a giant snake according to Mr. Pasty faced Scary Man, and she was about to die in the most unglamorous death ever.

After figuring out the hidden meaning behind head exam proctor's complicated rules, all you had to do to pass was to _not_ get caught while cheating.

It was easier said than done considering all the experienced chuunin watching your every move with eagle-eyes. With the help of his sharingan, Sasuke breezed through the written part of the chuunin exams. All he had to do was pick the person who looked like he knew what he was writing about and the Uchiha family's bloodline limit took over from there. Neji also had no difficulty with the exam with the help of his byakugan.

Hinata, while having the same bloodline limit her older cousin had, refrained from using it to her advantage because of her conscience. Kagome and Sakura answered their test questions to the best of their knowledge, never realizing they should've used shinobi techniques to cheat. Naruto was a nervous wreck, basically having a minor heartattack while sitting next to Hinata, staring at the blank paper with his name on it. Words blended into one another as he stared at them, confusing him more than he already was.

The rest of the Konoha genins managed just fine, eluding expulsion from the examination room. The same thing couldn't be said for a lot of chuunin hopefuls; one examinee after another were called and thrown out of the room after failing to hide the fact that they were stealing information from others. In the end, what they wrote on their papers didn't even matter. Mr. Sadistic Exam Head Proctor Morino Ibiki weeded out more chuunin hopefuls by threatening to ban them from advancing up the ninja ranks forever if they failed to answer the tenth question correctly. In the end, they were all scare tactics, psychological warfare to root out the genins who had the emotional maturity to become potential chuunins.

Their second exam proctor was even more eccentric than their first one, a skilled jounin named Anko who was as loud as Naruto and as flashy as Jiraiya. She took them to the forest of death and gave them instructions: Each team was responsible for one set of scrolls, either an earth scroll or a heaven scroll, and their objective by the end of the second task was to reach the tower inside the forest with one earth and one heaven scroll.

This meant they would have to fight another team at some point, and survive, while fighting off other genins who went after their team scroll. They were assigned a gate entrance and Naruto took them aside for a quick pep talk before the signal went off.

The blond breathed deep before addressing his teammates, looking his sister in the eye bravely. "I know you two still haven't resolved your differences, but I think you should put that aside and cooperate on this mission. We need to show some of that 'teamwork' Kakashi-sensei has always been telling us is important because frankly, that forest of death looks really dangerous." The tone he used was one reserved for children pitching a tantrum.

Sasuke should've known something bad was going to happen when the dobe started spouting stuff like that. The reason why he'd let his guard down and didn't search for signs of the apocalypse was because Kagome finally relented and forgave him.

"I'm still mad at what you did, but Naru's right. If we are to survive this test, I'm willing to look past what happened for now and cooperate on this task."

Okay, so he wasn't getting off scot-free with a clean slate but it was good enough. He can live with that.

If only he wasn't staring death in the face right now.

His body was numb, his brain frozen in terror and Naruto's current whereabouts or well-being was the farthest thing from his mind at the moment. A few minutes after they entered the forest, someone swooped down from the sky and carried Kagome off.

It was an ambush.

Sasuke and Naruto quickly pursued the abductor, but his two teammates blocked their path.

"Go on and get her back, Sasuke!" Naruto instructed, his aura deceptively calm with an underlying repressed fury. "I'll take care of these bozos and catch up. If you let even a single hair on her head get harmed, I'm going to beat you so hard, your great grandchildren are going to feel it."

He snorted in response to Naruto's empty threats of course. Did the dobe really think he could beat him? But he didn't argue; he just gave Naruto a curt nod and took off. The last thing that Sasuke saw before he continued his pursuit was Naruto doing his Kage Bunshin jutsu.

Surprisingly, he didn't have to give chase after his abducted teammate that far. He found her and the grass nin a short time later with the latter's shoulder smoking from what he assumed a blast Kagome had given him.

"Don't you ever touch me again or I'll fry you into kingdom come!"

"Are you all right Kagome?" Sasuke asked as he landed beside her, checking for visible signs of injuries.

"I'm fine," she replied, not taking her eyes off their opponent.

Her would-be captor chuckled creepily, as if he knew something they didn't. "I wouldn't hurt Kagome-chan, Sasuke-kun. Don't worry your pretty little head about that."

Sasuke stepped closer to his teammate, in front of her and effectively blocking a direct attack from the pasty-faced creep. "Who are you and what do you want?"

"How do you know our names?" Kagome asked, a little annoyed at Sasuke's actions but also a little thankful he blocked the creepy man's view of her. Slowly but surely she unsheathed a kunai, gripping it tightly. She'd be damned if she was going to let Creepy McScary touch her again without losing any limbs.

"Tsk-tsk. I'm hurt, Kagome-chan. Really, I am. You don't remember me? Ah, but I can't say I could blame you. You were too young when we first met, just a baby really, but we got along just fine. I was your favorite, in fact," Orochimaru cooed, lying through his teeth. Amused at the blank looks he received, he chuckled. "The name's Orochimaru, my little pretties. Ring any bells?"

"The traitor among the Legendary Three," Kagome didn't bother to hide the disgust in her voice. "You're a disgrace to your teammates."

For someone who was just insulted, he just smiled pleasantly. A long minute passed in tense silence as they regarded each other thoughtfully. Orochimaru looked pleased at what he was seeing.

"What do you want?" Sasuke finally broke the staring contest.

The snake sannin leered at them, licking his lips appreciatively as he looked from the Uchiha to the girl behind him. "I've come for you, my pretties," he replied easily and proceeded to lay down his plans for the both of them.

Things went downhill from there. Predictably, he and Kagome refused any offer the creepy sannin had for them, practically spitting on his face even as he tried tempting them using phrases like 'ultimate power', 'learn all the techniques invented' and 'rule the world'. In Kagome's eyes, he was an enemy of the village, a traitor to Konoha and several of the people she held dear. She would die before she would choose to associate with him in any way. In Sasuke's opinion, he was just plain creepy and he didn't like the way the freak looked at them like they were specimens in a lab; proof and point when Orochimaru started talking about making 'a perfect host by combining their DNAs'.

"With the Uchiha's bloodline limit and your power, I will have the ultimate vessel to achieve my goal," the sannin cackled.

"You're a sick freak. What makes you think we're going to agree to anything you say?" Sasuke looked disgusted at the mere thought of allying himself with the creep, signing their own death warrants.

Orochimaru didn't take their refusals lightly. Deciding to take them by force, shuriken were thrown and a fight started. It ended several seconds later when the sannin paralyzed the two genins with a mere glance. The bloodlust released in that single action overwhelmed Kagome and Sasuke, literally pinning them to the spot, life flashing before their eyes as the sannin lunged.

ღ

Itachi pinned Haku with his coldest glare but the boy wasn't the least bit intimidated. He stared back at the older and taller ANBU impassively, a friendly look on his face. The Uchiha turned to include the Hokage in his glare radius. "Is this really necessary, Yondaime-sama?" The tone was respectful with an underlying withheld fury.

"Just a precaution, Itachi-kun," Arashi replied cheerily, ignoring the Uchiha's evil eye. "If the Sandaime didn't trust me enough to 'stay put' and had to assign you to guard me, then it's only fair that I assign someone to keep an eye on you too. It's only fair," he repeated, nodding solemnly. "If I'm stuck here, so are you. If I'm forced to wait until they make it to the tower, then so are you. I know you're just as concerned about them as I am," he ignored the brow raise his statement caused, "but you'll have to put up with Haku if I have to put up with you."

"I don't see the need to place a guard on your own guard," Itachi commented dryly. "And why did I have to take off my mask? Yondaime-sama could tell which ANBU I am even with my mask on for as long as I remember."

"Haku doesn't yet, and he has to keep a close eye on you. I wouldn't want him to lose track of his assignment."

Obsidian eyes narrowed even further at the blond.

"Don't worry Itachi-san," Haku spoke, "I'm sure Kagome and Naruto will make it to the tower with your brother safe and sound. Just have a little faith in them."

Itachi wished he could whole-heartedly agree with Haku, silently cursing the Yondaime for anticipating his moves. The man was good. When he was called in to be on guard duty for the Yondaime during the Chuunin Exams, he knew it was because the Sandaime didn't trust the Yondaime not to sneak into the Forest of Death himself and spy on his children.

Why he was requested specifically he could only guess ― maybe it was because of his close relationship to the Yondaime and his family, or it could be because of his superior shinobi skills. Either way, he was surprised when Arashi-sama told him to take off his mask and ordered Haku to keep an eye on him.

There he was, supposed to keep an eye on the Yondaime to prevent him from crashing the second round of the Chuunin tests, with Haku keeping an eye on him from preventing doing the same thing he was keeping an eye on the Yondaime for.

It was a weird cycle of who's guarding who.

"I do have faith in them," Itachi tried to sound convincing. His frown deepened when the two looked at him dubiously. If he wasn't an Uchiha, he would've huffed at their expressions. Even if their skills weren't that of high level ninjas yet he had faith in them. It still didn't make the uneasy feeling in his stomach go away though. It gnawed at him, and he hated it. Hated feeling this way, feeling weak.

One glance at the Yondaime told him the man felt the same thing, but they also both knew they were prohibited from interfering. Not that they would and could actually do that now that there were people watching them to make sure they didn't, but it still didn't help make the uneasiness go away.

He could only hope Sasuke and Naruto were competent enough to make sure Kagome made it in one piece. If she didn't, those two would pay dearly.

ღ

_Bam!_

The surrounding insects and birds nesting nearby flew away as Orochimaru hit an invisible barrier face first with the force enough to shake the trees around them in their roots. He propelled backwards, twisted and turned, tried to gain his balance as best he could while he skidded face-first into the dirt.

Sasuke would've wet his pants in relief if he were capable, as Kagome collapsed on her knees, breaking eye contact with the snake sannin. When he hit the barrier, she felt like someone punched her in the gut, cutting whatever spell she was under. Thinking fast, she didn't waste time to catch a second wind.

Orochimaru let out an amused chuckle. Picked his body off the forest floor and dusted his clothes. "How careless of me," clucked his tongue and shook his head. "I should've known you'd pull that stunt. Aw, where are you going, Kagome-chan? Where are you taking Sasuke-kun? I'll give you a head start but escaping me is impossible!" He yelled at the retreating back of the female genin who dragged her teammate to the safety of the trees.

"One one-thousand, two one-thousand, three one-thousand..." she heard the demented sannin count tauntingly as she attempted to distance her and Sasuke from him. Kagome ignored everything else, didn't even spare him a backward glance. She supported Sasuke's weight with her own until she felt there was enough space between them and the creep. She stopped on a tree branch high above the ground.

"Are you okay?"

Sasuke nodded, not trusting his voice.

"We lost him... I think... did we lose him? I don't sense―" the sudden appearance of a squirrel caused her to throw a kunai at its direction. Thankfully, it missed the little critter and it scampered off after glaring at the rude human who dared threaten its life.

"What..." She was horrified at what almost just happened. Quickly snapping out of it, she dragged Sasuke to lean on the tree trunk. "It was just a squirrel―"

"Oh my Kagome-chan, you still have a lot to learn." Orochimaru's voice interrupted, his head popping out of the tree trunk Sasuke was leaning on, startling the two genins. Before either of them could blink, he sunk his teeth into the young Uchiha's neck.

Sasuke screamed in pain and Orochimaru retracted his teeth the next instant. The sannin looked pleased to see three comma-shaped tattoo-like marks materializing on his victim's neck.

ღ

"Oh for the love of― do you really think it's necessary for you to follow me to the bathroom, Itachi-kun?" Exasperation would be too weak a word to describe what Arashi felt for the Uchiha prodigy right now.

"You could ask the same thing to Haku," was all Itachi said.

Haku shrugged in reply behind him, as if to say he was only doing his job.

The chuunin quietly doing his business in the corner had to bite the inside of his cheeks to stifle a laugh. Death by Itachi's hands, and possibly the Yondaime's since he looked pissed (pardon the pun) enough at the moment, with his pants down was not how he envisioned his demise to be. He'd heard the other shinobi in the tower laughing about the odd 'babysitting' arrangement all day today, but seeing the trio for himself was something else.

"I'm not going to sneak out of the toilet for crying out loud. I'm just here to relieve myself. Can't you at least give me some privacy?!"

"This is a public facility, Yondaime-sama. I too have the right to use it."

Haku shrugged again when they looked at him, as if to say 'hey, me too.' A peeved Yondaime glared once more at Itachi before he stepped in front of the cubicle one space away from the chuunin doing his business. Itachi took the place one empty spot next to the Yondaime and Haku took the farthest one, putting up with the Yondaime's complaints about invaded privacies and needing some alone time.

Itachi continued to give him clipped answers while Haku remained with his 'just smile and nod or shrug' approach. Arashi glowered. Itachi stared back impassively. Haku proceeded to smile and nod.

The chuunin didn't even bother to wash his hands or excuse himself from his Hokage. He zipped up, quickly exited the public bathroom as fast as his legs could carry him as soon as he finished. The three remaining shinobi keeping a close eye on one another could hear his laughter even as the doors closed.

ღ

They may have survived the attack from the creepy sannin, but they were now left with two unconscious members and one exhausted teammate in their team.

A battered Naruto came to their aid as the poison from Orochimaru's bite slowly spread through Sasuke's system, and Kagome watched as he too took a beating from the former leaf nin. Her brother put up a three-minute fight against the sannin before he finally got knocked out, and all she could do was huddle over both her teammates' bodies in an effort to shield them from Orochimaru's attack.

Eyes closed, not daring to breathe while praying to every god who's listening to save them, a soft breeze on her hair was all she felt just as he whispered "I'll come back for you next time, Kagome-chan," in her ear.

When she opened them, she was all alone with her fallen comrades in the middle of the forest, the snake sannin nowhere to be seen. She would've collapsed in relief if she wasn't already crouching, puzzling over the bizarre turn of events.

The man could've killed her and her teammates in a heartbeat yet he didn't... why? A closer examination at Sasuke's neck proved she might have thanked her lucky stars a little too early.

Orochimaru had injected poison into his system, she could tell from looking at the odd looking marks. Already, his chakra was showing signs of poisoning and his body trembled as the toxin spread into his system.

What should she do? Leave her teammates and go look for help? No, leaving them wasn't going to be an option. The physically tired and chakra-spent kunoichi could think of only two things to do in this situation.

The million oden question was should she put up an absolute defense barrier around her team and wait until one of them woke up or should she attempt to cure Sasuke? It wasn't much of a dilemma, she was already leaning towards... Her head shot up, almost hitting the low tree branch above. Why didn't she think of it sooner?

Putting at least one fourth of her remaining chakra, familiar runes glowed around her as she performed her jutsu. A while later, a huge, hulking figure of a summon appeared, more than twice her height although he was hunched over and probably more than five times her weight. When the lights disappeared, it looked around, then down at her and blinked.

Kagome swallowed, stepping a little closer to her fallen teammates. "H―hi, I'm Kagome. A―are you my summon?" He was _huuuge_! His face looked like almost like a horse and he was almost bald save for the patch of hair he tied to a ponytail at the back. And those eyes! Huge, saucer-like shaped with the bluest blue she'd ever seen. People often remarked on how pretty the cerulean color of her, Papa's and Naruto's eyes were, but the hue of this guy's― creature's, whatever he was ― eyes put theirs to shame.

"Kagome-san!" The huge creature's eyes lit up in glee, happiness reflected in his voice. He moved as if to hug her but suddenly stopped as if remembering something. "Jaken said you don't remember..." he mumbled to himself, opting to carefully extend a hand towards her instead.

She took it and they carefully shook hands, a friendly gesture from the summoner to the summon. His hand dwarfed hers but she noted how gentle he was, as if he was afraid she might break if he applied too much pressure.

"I'm Jinenji," he introduced himself with a short bow, "What can I help you with today?" Long arms dragged on the ground as he hunched over.

"Jineji-san, can you please help me carry my teammates to safety?" She indicated to the two bodies lying on the forest floor. "I have to find a small body of water, a pond or stream... just anything with water, preferably where we're relatively safe from ambush."

Jinenji cocked his head to one side, listening for sounds of the nearest body of water. After a few seconds, he nodded his head and walked towards the sleeping Naruto. She didn't think it was possible, but his eyes widened even more when he stood over her brother. "The Kyuubi..."

"He's my brother," Kagome said a little defensively.

Jinenji would've quirked a brow if he had one at this, but said nothing instead, carefully picking up Naruto and then Sasuke, hoisting them on his shoulders. "It's this way," he nodded his head towards the sound, waiting until Kagome started walking towards the right direction.

"Do you need help carrying them, Jinenji-san?" She asked after a few moments of silence.

"Don't worry about it, Kagome-san. They don't weigh a thing." He assured. They walked in companionable silence until they reached a small clearing a few minutes later. Trees so high Kagome couldn't see the top neatly gave way to a small stream of water.

"Thank you, Jinenji-san!" With much relief, she hurriedly knelt by the brook and took out their water canteens to refill them while Jinenji scouted the bases of various large trees that could provide shelter for his smaller charges. "Can you place them here for a second, please?"

The giant watched quietly as Kagome carefully gave the blond a check-up. He stood close to them, mindful of the three sets of eyes that were watching their every move, but made sure not to appear as if he had noticed their spying. He overheard some of his neighbors talk about Jaken's so-called adventures in the human world not so recently, but he dismissed them to be unfounded rumors and tried not to get his hopes up.

Jaken and their group might have been close to the miko whom everybody respected and a lot of them feared, but that didn't mean he could believe everything that they said. That loyal fire cat and that loud dog met the same fate the kit did on their ventures to the human world, chasing after rumors of her return. Jinenji knew that if _she_ were to appear, she'd find her own way of contacting them, letting them know where she was, and making her presence known.

The toad merely brushed him off, and the loud dog scoffed at his opinion and stated that he didn't know what he was talking about.

Jinenji scoffed right back and told them to do what they want. Even the older dog seemed to agree with his opinion, although he didn't voice it, but because of his unusual looks, even for a demon, they ignored him and thought his ideas to be irrelevant.

He retreated to his home then, and patiently waited for the day of her return. He knew she'd find her way to him, like before. Rumors of her or about her resurfaced from time to time then... and slowly but surely lured one of them after another. He never thought he'd ever see the others again, after hearing reports of what happened to them, but glancing at the blond, the kit surely knew what he was doing.

Come to think of it, among their group, he was always the one who was most connected to the miko. The reports of his capture had been grossly exaggerated but true nonetheless. His capture was unimportant now though, since he was with Kagome. He got what he wanted and Jinenji didn't think he minded the circumstances... maybe. Jinenji couldn't speak in behalf of him.

He watched the miko heal even the slightest of cuts on the blond, her brother she had said, and stayed alert as she used the fresh stream water to sponge away the dirt on him. Ten minutes later, she placed a cool towel on his forehead and worked on the dark-haired boy.

"This is Sasuke," Kagome replied to his silent curiosity. "He was bitten by a man who looks like a snake while we were in the forest, and I'm afraid the poison is spreading in his body. Do you see this mark here?" He leaned closer to see the three commas on the side of his neck. "I think it's a curse of some sort." Worry was evident in her voice. "I've had little experience dealing with curses, all of them when I was little and I admit I don't know what I was really doing. Do you know a way of how I could remove it?"

He was moved by her obvious concern for her friend. She hasn't changed one bit. Always so caring of others and willing to accept them, no matter what they were. "I have some herbs with me," he peered at the odd curse seal, "but they would only work against the poison, not the curse. The curse needs to be contained or purified. I don't have the skills or power to do either."

Kagome groaned in defeat, head hanging in defeat. "I knew you were gonna say that. A friend of mine told me a story of purification by water, but he didn't really go into detail, nor do I have any experience with it."

"You can do it, Kagome-san." Jinenji encouraged.

She smiled at his belief in her. "I guess I could try... do you see that black aura surrounding him?"

Jineji shook his head.

Kagome wasn't deterred. "If I could remove that nasty noxious aura, even just a little, maybe..."

The giant shot a pointed look at the trees. He squared his shoulders, "Don't worry Kagome-san, I'll try my best to protect you. Just concentrate on healing your teammate and leave the rest to me."

In the next few hours, the three spies observing from the trees watched as Kagome tried to purge Orochimaru's poison from Sasuke's body... and relatively failed. They observed as the girl used an unknown jutsu to extract visible black tendrils from the Uchiha and deposit them in the water. She did it painstakingly, refusing to take any breaks. The giant standing guard over them hovered protectively, asked in concern once every two hours for her to rest even for a little bit, but she insisted she was fine and continued with her work.

They weren't close enough to see the black marks threaten to envelop Sasuke's body from their positions, but they were treated to the sight of power flaring from the two bodies in the water once in a while. A black aura from Sasuke and pink from Kagome would clash, the resulting battle giving every living thing within close range goosebumps. It would continue to peak until the pink could finally overcome the black and the girl would appear to be more fatigued each time, the fights taking an obvious toll on her.

Still they waited, as per instructions, for the time to strike. There was a barrier of some sort surrounding their targets, but they couldn't start their assault until dawn. Orochimaru-sama had been very specific with that. When Zaku shifted impatiently, mumbling about how they should strike now since the girl looked like she was going to pass out from the fatigue already instead of waiting for the sun to come up, Kin pointedly reminded him of what their master told them to do and what he did with those who failed to follow orders. Kinuta agreed with Kin.

So they waited. And waited some more. Zaku tried to occupy his time by toying with the air nozzles on the palm of his hands, but Kin told him to pay attention to their targets. When he argued that their marks weren't going anywhere and that the only obstacle in their path to killing the Uchiha was the misshapen protector, Kin threatened to fill his air-release nozzles with her senbon... among other things.

ღ

Jinenji grabbed Kagome before she hit the water face down. Shaking his head with a sigh, he carried the two bodies and laid them next to the kit, heightened senses staying on full alert. The girl passed out from exhaustion, but her barrier thankfully held. He didn't know why the people spying on them waited this long, and he the knowledge that they were there but he couldn't do anything about them because going after them would mean abandoning his unconscious charges, but they could wait until forever for all he cared.

Still, he should've reserved judgment until much later because his luck finally ran out with the rising of the sun. He barely had the time to admire the look of the forest in daybreak when the barrier shuddered. He turned his head just in time to see a spiky-haired, cruel-looking shinobi forcefully thrown with an invisible force. He landed in an ungraceful heap at the foot of a kunoichi who sneered at him and called him an idiot.

"Shut up, Kin! I'd like to see you try to get past the invisible wall," he huffed as he stood up, giving Jinenji a perfect view of his shirt with three characters reading "death" printed on it.

Jinenji assumed a defensive position in front of the little cave his young charges were in just as the third person completed the enemy group. The half-demon assumed he was their leader, despite his hunchback, non-visible hands through his too-long sleeves and bandage wrapped face. Not that he was one to judge others by their appearance, but he found the leader's straw raincoat odd. His left eye peeking out of the bandages on his face as the only visible feature also gave him an eerie look.

All three wore their forehead protectors on their foreheads and Jinenji knew enough about human hidden villages to conclude that they were from the newly formed Sound Village.

The guy with "death" printed three times on his shirt and the girl with an arsenal of senbon got into a loud fight about what to do next, a very heated discussion about how the macho-looking kunoichi (Kin, if Jinenji heard right) was going to open the barrier by slamming the spiky-haired shinobi's head into it. Zaku, if the half-demon's hearing didn't fail him, then detailed what he was going to do with the kunoichi's senbon if she did that, causing another round of loud arguments.

ღ

"_... and if you are in need you must find us. Summon us to come to your aid and we will be there."_

"_What if I don't remember any of this? What if you no longer exist in my future?"_

"_Don't worry, miko, even if we are all separated from each other, our fates are connected with bonds that can never be broken."_

"_Yeah, what he said. Haven't you already learned that from our old man? You're the one with all the corny beliefs, woman! Where are those cheesy proverbs of yours now?"_

_An orange blur kicked the hanyou on the side of the head before settling into her arms. "Baka!" He huffed, making himself comfortable. "Don't worry, mama. No matter where I go and where I am, I'll always be there to protect you."_

_She hugged the kit close before turning to the demon lord. "I want to believe in what you're saying. I really do. I want to believe that we'll all meet again someday, but you said so yourself. Even if demons have longer life spans than humans, it's not guaranteed that you'll survive five hundred years into the future."_

"_Keh!" The hanyou scoffed. "Don't doubt Fluffy's word. Haven't you already learned something? Baaaka! We found each other once. I'm sure we'll do it again." _

"_The ignorant hanyou has a point." Things shifted a little, "Now wake up. You're in grave danger."_

"What?" Kagome's eyes opened, surprised at realizing that the voice from her dream caused it. She couldn't see the faces of the people in her dream, but the voice warning her of danger had been right. Her eyes widened. "Jinenji-san!" How long had she been out? Sunlight streamed through all the gaps in the trees now.

The giant's body was bathed with needles courtesy of Kin when he used his body to shield the three genins from her attack, one ear had a trail of blood flowing from it because of Kinuta's supersonic attacks, and his arms were littered with cuts due to Zaku's deadly air nozzles. His will to protect the genins remained strong despite the injuries he received. His loyalty was admirable, but Kagome didn't want him to lose his life in exchange for theirs.

_I have to do something!_ Even as she screamed the thought in her mind, she barely had the strength to stand up. Her barrier must've failed some time ago, so Jinenji was forced to fight the three attackers by himself while she and her teammates were out cold.

"Oh goodie, the girl's awake. Now we don't have to pick who to torture next," Zaku cackled.

"I will not allow you to hurt Kagome-san!" Jinenji roared, aiming a punch towards him. Zaku easily dodged the physically beat half-demon, grinning sadistically. Before the giant could lunge at him again, he blasted the fool so hard, the impact caused the tree trunk to crack with the force.

"Jinenji-san!" Kagome gasped helplessly, willing her legs to move.

"I love the sound of terrified genins in the morning," Zaku laughed, advancing towards her. Jinenji remained unresponsive to her voice, lying in an unconscious and bleeding heap on the forest floor. "We're done with that one," Zaku explained. "He put up a good fight but he was no match for our combined forces. We had to attack together to bring him down. He was one tough horse."

Kagome felt sick to her stomach. Was he dead? No, his ki fluctuations told her he was only unconscious, despite looking severely beaten. This was all her fault. If she didn't summon him... if she wasn't so weak... no. What did Mushin-sama say? What was written in that scroll?

_When summons are injured, exhausted, chakra-depleted, unconscious or appear to be dead, a dismissal is the best course of action. This will allow the summon to be revived for the next session._

Hoping with every fiber of her being that what the scroll contained was true, she waved her hand and dismissed Jinenji.

The three Sound-nins startled at the action, even earning a surprised "Cool!" from the cruel Zaku as he watched the giant disappear in a flurry of lights, before he threw a kunai at her.

_Clang!_

Kunai clashed against kunai, barely deflecting it.

"Aw, there's still some fight left in her, but I don't think she'll be as much fun as her friend."

"You wanna take this one, Zaku?"

"I'd be delighted to, Kinuta. Kin?"

The female shrugged, "Knock yourself out." None of them thought the genin was much of a threat anyway.

She wasn't. Kagome tried her best but Zaku had her facedown on the ground, a knee holding her down with one hand behind her back within several seconds. The Sound-nin laughed at the pain he was causing the Leaf genin. Her cries of pain were music to his ears. Each time he tightened his grip on her arm, just enough to get a reaction from her but not enough to break it, she'd whimper pathetically and he'd do it again because it was fun.

Kin yawned, bored at her teammate's cruel antics. "Don't forget our orders, Zaku." Kinuta reminded as the Leaf genin cried out in pain from the heel digging into her back.

"Yeah, yeah!" Zaku muttered exasperatedly. Their orders were to kill the Uchiha, and Orochimaru had been very explicit about sparing the girl from death. Why, none of them knew and dared to question, because orders were orders. He rubbed the girl's face into the dirt some more and beat her up to squeeze out some of those delightful pathetic sounds she made before he removed his foot. Giving the girl several more parting kicks to the ribs, he looked at his teammates innocently. "What? He said not to kill the girl, nothing about _not_ beating her up."

"Idiot," Kin shot Zaku a disgusted look, twirling deadly senbon between her fingers. "Let's get this over with already!"

Kinuta sighed and stepped towards Sasuke. Might as well get it done before Kin and Zaku go at it again.

Kagome's face scraped up more dirt as she turned her head. "Naru..." she cried out softly, tears streaming down her dirty face, "wake up. Sasuke, wake up!" The Sound-nin his teammates referred to as Zaku walked back to her side again and kicked her in the head.

"No talking!" He added for emphasis then suddenly screamed in pain when two kunai were imbedded deep into his thigh. The recipient of his kicks disappeared with a blur. "Son of a―"

"How dare you lay a hand on Kagome," a very angry looking Neji cradling Kagome stated, his own teammates Lee and TenTen standing on each side. He handed the girl to his female teammate, brushing the hair away from Kagome's face as gently as he could, hands shaking with fury.

ღ

Haku jumped, startled at the sound of china breaking as it hit the floor. He looked questioningly at the Yondaime who was ashen-faced. Arashi looked at Itachi, bewilderment and panic in his eyes. "You felt it too, didn't you?" The sudden jolt he felt caused him to drop his cup. Never had he felt such a strong call for help before.

Upon closer inspection, Haku could see the same emotions the Yondaime was feeling in the Uchiha's face, controlled and just barely concealed. His interest was further piqued when Itachi remained tight-lipped and unresponsive.

"That's it!" Arashi sidestepped the broken teacup on the floor, "I'm going no matter what you say. I know you felt that, you can't tell me to _stay put,_" he spat the words, "any longer when you _know_ they're in danger!"

Haku stood up, confused. Should he block the Yondaime? But his orders only concerned Itachi, who had a death grip on his chair. What was going on?

"Step aside, Kakashi-kun," Arashi demanded as he opened the door to discover his former student and a few of his ANBU guards blocking it.

"The Sandaime ordered me to keep you here as well, Arashi-sensei. Please stay calm and go back to your paperwork." Kakashi told him.

"But you don't understand! I felt a..." he snaked a hand through his hair, "a... I can't really explain it but you have to believe me. It was like a distress call, Kakashi-kun. I _have to_ go and help them."

Kakashi nodded to the ANBU in the dog mask.

ღ

TenTen winced, looking at Kagome's injuries. Judging from her moan of pain, she guessed the girl probably had a broken rib or two. Confident that her teammates had a grip on the situation, she kept one eye on the ongoing battle while breaking out the first aid kit.

In the year or so that she worked closely with Neji on the same team, she'd never ever seen him lose his poker face or cold attitude before. Imagine her surprise when he suddenly bolted, saying "Kagome!" in a panicked voice just as Lee was suggesting they do a search of the parameter. They got their earth scroll and heaven scroll easily after beating another genin team for it, and the plan was to look around for a little bit before resting.

Plans to rest were soon abandoned as she and Lee chased after Neji, shocked at his odd behavior. She exchanged glances with Lee, bewildered at what might have triggered such a reaction from their emotionally constipated team member.

They broke into a clearing just in time to see a Sound-nin kick a huddled, battered form on the ground. In the next instant, Neji flew, kunai drawn, eyes blazing. Lee was there to even out the fight two to three while TenTen assessed Kagome's condition, but the young Hyuuga was like an unstoppable bull on a rampage. The opponents fell to the forest floor with their chakra holes closed or badly damaged before long. Not even the female was spared.

Lee stood slack-jawed, watching the fight before his eyes. Neji was his rival, but he was happy that his normally stoic teammate was using his fires of youth in a passionate battle. He could see the fire in those milky whites. A little too much, when Neji dug his heel on the face of the guy whom they saw abusing the girl earlier.

"I should kill you right here, right now," Neji said in a dangerous low voice, enjoying the look of pain on the man's face, giving him the same treatment he gave Kagome earlier.

"Neji-kun, that's enough," Lee stepped in.

"Stay out of this, Lee." Neji retorted, ignoring his advice.

"You've won," Lee placed a hand, unafraid, on Neji's shoulder. "Let it go. None of them could move their bodies anymore. You should tend to Kagome-san. See if she's okay."

ღ

A couple of days passed after Team 7's ordeal before their team got well enough to continue on their journey towards the tower. Days before, Neji insisted that he and his team should stay, just in case any more incidents happened, but Kagome argued for them to move on and finish the second task on their own, reminding Neji that they had to pass this trial with their teammates, and as much as they willed it to be otherwise, Neji wasn't part of their team.

This didn't sit well with the Hyuuga as he fought with her on the issue, while none of his teammates dared to oppose him. Lee was genuinely happy for the youthful vigor his rival was showing, and TenTen knew better than to argue with her stubborn teammate when he had his mind set on something. Never had Neji asked anything of them before, too. It was nice to know he was human like them.

Kagome and Neji argued tirelessly for several hours, her shouts of frustration the sounds that Naruto and Sasuke woke up to. They immediately took her side, Naruto claiming that he could protect his teammates and Sasuke stating that Neji shouldn't interfere with other team's businesses.

The meager rest she had coupled with a soldier pill TenTen fed her allowed Kagome a chakra boost, so she took the time to heal her major wounds while her brother and friends disagreed with each other. Neji seriously doubted Naruto and Sasuke's abilities to protect their team, as evident with the situation that Team Gai had walked into, while the two Team 7 genin males defended their capabilities.

The matter was finally settled when Kagome suggested that Team Gai get going and Neji could report whatever he wanted to the Yondaime, and they could figure out how pathetic Team 7 was after that.

"Yeah, you tattletale," Sasuke muttered under his breath, producing a small scuffle involving skin getting pinched, heads receiving noogies and legs trying to trip each other.

In the end, Kagome pleaded with Lee and TenTen, and they were forced to overrule Neji as they chose to respect Team 7's decision to make it on their own. Neji wasn't happy, but he did go straight to the Hokage after they reached the tower. He didn't care if the Uchiha was going to tease him about tattling on them. In his mind, he was just doing his job as someone who was indebted to the Yondaime and his family.

It took Team 7 a few more days to recuperate, but they did make it just in time to pass the deadline. They were allowed a very short breather before they were told an elimination round was going to begin, and they shuffled to the arena to duke it out with the other preliminary exam contenders.

ღ

Hayate hacked and wheezed, drawing the concerned stares of the young genins who weren't used to seeing him. Behind him were several high ranking representatives from each participating hidden village, including the Sandaime and the Yondaime.

"Will he be all right?" Kagome asked.

"He looks like he's going to kick the bucket soon," Naruto observed sympathetically.

Sasuke had been one of the first among the genins to fight with his opponent a fellow Leaf-nin who was older and more experienced. He encountered a little difficulty getting his curse seal in check, but in the end he won the fight and was carted off by Kakashi to help him control his new curse. The seal threatened to take over his entire body every time he attempted to mold chakra. Using his sharingan had been out of the question, so he had to rely solely on his taijutsu skills. Thankfully, they were enough to defeat the opponent, but not without paying a price. He was terribly exhausted and even passed out right after he was declared the winner.

If Team 7 and Team Gai were surprised to see the three Sound-nins they encountered in the forest make it to the prelims, none of them showed it. Choji had the unfortunate luck to be pitted against Kinuta and he lost, while Shikamaru luckily triumphed over Kinuta's female teammate, Kin. TenTen ran into some difficulties against Temari from the Sand village, while Neji scored a spot on the finals after winning against a very tough match with a Sound-nin named Hakudoshi. Kakashi came back from his errand with Sasuke sometime after that, just in time to witness Sakura's fight with Ino that ended in a draw, while Hojo lost to his own teammate Sai. Naruto won against Kiba using sheer luck, and now it was Hinata's turn.

Her opponent was a white-haired chibi similar in looks to Neji's earlier opponent. Kagome was excited for her friend, but also couldn't shake off the feeling of uneasiness in the pit of her stomach. She attributed it to nervousness from her own match, which was yet to come.

When his hacking cough subsided, Hayate raised a hand in the air. "Begin!"

"Go for it, Hinata!" Kagome cheered from the sidelines, all thoughts about the impending sermon she and Naruto were sure to receive from their father forgotten. Papa stared pointedly at her and her brother while the Sandaime made a speech about the importance of the Chuunin exams to different shinobi nations, and she had to hide behind her hair to avoid the scrutiny. Perhaps when the prelims were finished, papa would be too busy to talk to them. Or at least she hoped so.

Hinata smiled at her friend and breathed in. She had a height advantage over her opponent although she couldn't tell how old she was. She looked like a child of about six or ten but appearances could be deceiving. Not allowing her guard to drop, she performed several hand seals. "Byakugan!" The veins around her eyes became more prominent, indicating her activated bloodline limit.

"What is that?" Sakura could be heard questioning her sensei in the sidelines. She's never seen the Hyuuga kekkei genkai in action before. Those who weren't familiar with the special eye condition of the Hyuuga clan leaned forward to catch the explanation about the strongest clan in Konoha's special bloodline limit.

Hinata's friends paid it no attention. They were already familiar with it. Instead, all their eyes were focused on the small Hyuuga girl, especially Kagome who was feeling a growing sense of dread despite her faith in her best friend's abilities.

Her senses were screaming that something wasn't right and she felt frustrated that she didn't know what it was.

"She'll be all right Gome," Naruto assured his sister, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Hinata can look meek and gentle at first glance but we all know she can hold her own in a fight. I'm sure she'll win this, don't worry too much about it."

"Something's off, Naru. I don't know what it is but I can feel it," Kagome sighed impatiently. "Don't you see anything weird about that girl's aura?"

Naruto shrugged helplessly. "I can't read auras like you," he reminded with a frown on his face. "Although I have to say that I do feel a weird vibe from the chibi."

The fight was going on smoothly. Kanna dodged all of Hinata's attacks as she held up her mirror. Her face never showed any of her emotions and she waited for the right time for her attack. Hinata, surprisingly, was on the offensive, giving the white-haired girl all she's got. Her Byakugan wasn't strong enough to see chakra holes yet but if she was confident in her Gentle Fist abilities. Juken blows were deadly since they attacked your internal organs and did major damage to your chakra system. If she could land even one good hit, it could spell disaster for the receiver.

Too bad her opponent was faster than her.

Hinata may have had a near-360 degree field vision but Kanna easily dodged her attacks like they were nothing. It was frustrating but the young Hyuuga persevered. Her special people were watching and she wanted to prove that she was fit to be called a Hyuuga.

"That chibi is fast," Rock Lee observed with an eagle eye. He hated to admit it but the chibi's speed was on par or probably faster than his. That alone was impressive, but coupled with the fact that the girl didn't even look winded while doing it was noteworthy. Was she toying with Neji's younger cousin?

"Why isn't she attacking?" Naruto asked. Did all girls fight like this? There were a lot of dodging but no counter moves from the chibi.

Kagome gripped the metal rails of the balcony in agitation. "She's gearing for an attack. She's waiting for Hinata to get exhausted before she delivers her blow." The others shot her differing looks, not sure if her hypothesis was correct or not. When did Kagome become an expert on deciphering fight tactics? She didn't know how she knew it but it was her gut feeling. "Finish it quick, Hinata!" She shouted from the balcony, hands flailing and feet stomping, not caring that she was making a spectacle of herself. "Don't give her a chance to attack you!!!"

"Kagome..." Iruka had his face buried in his palm, embarrassed in behalf of his former student. He expected this kind of behavior from Naruto but not from Kagome.

Itachi allowed his mouth to curve slightly upward behind his ANBU mask. No one could see it so he felt it was safe. Getting assigned to guard the Yondaime during the prelims had its ups with its downs, and one of those privileges was watching the Chuunin prelims from a corner, undetected by and invisible from anyone. He had no more reason to detain the Yondaime to one room or keep an eye on him to make sure he didn't rush to spy on his children, so Haku was also no longer keeping an eye on him.

Arashi didn't say anything but he did openly grin in response. He too was silently cheering cute little Hinata-chan on but as a Hokage he must 'keep calm at all times and conduct himself with honor and decorum'. 'Act your age', as Sarutobi-sama simplified for him.

Keh.

His inner self is still six years old and he is still sixteen inside his head. Do those count for anything?

Hinata finally tired out after countless minutes of relentless attacks, pausing to gather her bearings.

"Go for it, Hinata!" Naruto also shouted from the bleachers, making her blush. Naruto-kun was watching her! Her! Cheering for _her_. She had to give it her all and win it. Time to show everyone her genin missions weren't all for nothing.

Kanna's expression never changed. She patiently waited, paced herself and avoided getting hit, making the girl exhaust herself until an opening presented itself. It wouldn't be long now, and indeed it wasn't. Signs of frustration and beads of sweat gathered on the dark blue haired girl's forehead, her speed noticeably dropping bit by bit as the battle dragged on. The blue-haired girl was breathing through her mouth in deep gasps when the she made her move.

There were no hand seals, no chakra gathered, and no chants needed. The girl merely held up her mirror towards Hinata and waited.

Kagome's eyes widened when she saw what was going on.

"Stop it!" she screamed from the balcony. _She's taking Hinata's soul!_ "Somebody stop her now!!!" She pointed at Kanna, frantically thinking of how to save her best friend. Her hysteria was freaking out her family and friends but she only had eyes on Hinata's soul getting sucked into Kanna's mirror.

"Kagome, calm down. You can't stop a fight without valid reason," Kakashi sided next to his hysterical charge, totally perplexed by her odd behavior. He placed a gloved hand on her shoulder in an effort to get her to calm down and was taken aback by the panicked look in her eyes.

"Kakashi-sensei," he knew something was up when she used his full name to address him, "make her stop right now!"

At his lack of response, she hopped over the railing and attempted to jump down to the arena. Kakashi's fast reflexes made him dart out to catch her by the back of her shirt, and suddenly he was bracing himself against the rails while Kagome dangled from his grasp.

"Kagome!" Arashi's Hokage face was replaced by his shocked father's one when he saw what happened.

"Let me go, sensei!" Kagome flailed, trying to wrench free from Kakashi's hands. Neji snapped out of his surprise enough to gather his wits, and he stepped forward to help Kakashi haul Kagome back to their side of the balcony but a black blur beat him to it.

"Kagome, what are you doing?" the unmistaken voice of Itachi hissed from beneath the ANBU mask as he dragged her back to the right side of the platform.

"Let me go, let me go!" she pleaded, attempting to dive down again if Itachi didn't hug her to him.

Back at the arena, Kanna was slowly but surely sucking Hinata's soul into her mirror. Hinata put up a fight for a little bit more before her spirit lost the battle, untrained and unprepared for this kind of attack. She started falling forward...

Up on the balcony, Kagome's struggles intensified as she saw the life leeching away from her beloved friend. "Nooo!!! Hinata!!!"

Hayate wasn't the only one confused with the events unfolding, but as much as he would like to grant the screaming requests of the hysterical girl, he had no proof to justify interrupting a match where none of the opponents landed even a single hit to the other. Why was the Yondaime's daughter getting so worked up about it? Could she see something the rest of them couldn't? All he could currently see from the fight was the freaky white-haired chibi holding a glowing mirror and the Hyuuga girl falling to her knees.

What was going on? If that ANBU wasn't forcibly holding the girl back with his arms looped under hers while she was kicking and screaming – _oh, that's gotta hurt!_ Hayate suddenly winced, seeing the solid kick Kagome landed on Kakashi's crotch. The jounin fell to the floor in a whimpering heap and all the males in the auditorium cringed in sympathy as they watched him curl into a fetal position.

Kagome's outstretched hands started glowing. She didn't need Itachi to release her. She could blast the chibi from here. Anyone who hurt Hinata would answer to her.

"Kanna," a voice from the opposite side of the commotion spoke. Only the girl addressed paid her any mind. The rest of the people in the auditorium were too busy gawking at the Konoha genin's hysterics. "You could stop for now," Kagura instructed. Her eyes narrowed when her order wasn't immediately obeyed, but the white haired chibi soon cancelled her spell on the Hyuuga.

Hayate, confused by the sudden turn in events, didn't hesitate to pronounce Kanna the winner against a passed out Hinata. As soon as Itachi released her, Kagome jumped from the balcony, quickly followed by Naruto, to check on their friend. Medics rushed in to inspect the fallen genin while the winner calmly went back to her sister's side. Kagura observed the scene with deceptively impassive eyes.

Kagome had instantly held glowing pink hands towards Hinata when she reached her. The med-nins repeatedly asked her to step aside until Naruto and Neji held her back to allow them to do their work. Hinata was unresponsive when they loaded her on the stretcher, but she was still alive and breathing as far as they could tell. Kagome wanted to go with her best friend when they carried her out of the auditorium but couldn't because she still had her match to look forward to. Nobody could really explain what exactly happened, but the genins and their instructors speculated amongst themselves.

"Did you see that?"

"What just happened?"

"This is the most boring fight I've ever witnessed. They didn't even land a single blow on each other! I can't believe this!"

"I never figured they'd raise weaker genins in Konoha. Who knew?"

Kagome only had eyes for Hinata, oblivious to the insulting comments circulating around them.

"She'll be fine," Naruto tried to reassure her, but she only had eyes for the white haired girl standing across them. Itachi was no longer incognito, but he still had his mask on. He, along with Neji, stayed within grabbing vicinity of Kagome in case she planned on pulling another stunt like earlier. Kakashi was still in pain, so he kept a safe kicking distance away from his student.

_It's okay, Itachi is there. He'll keep her in line until I can feel the lower half of my body again._ His student was a good kicker.

Several chuunins were clearing away the debris from the previous battles in the arena while the representatives from the various villages chatted amongst themselves. Chuunin exams weren't only tests for genins who wanted to advance to the next ninja rank, these exams were also important in establishing relationships with the daimyos who employed shinobi. The hidden village with the most impressive genins in the chuunin finals would attract more clients. From what they witnessed in the earlier fight, the Sound genin didn't even touch the Konoha genin to defeat her. Was this newly formed hidden village more than a threat than they credited it for?

Kagura couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at the glare her sister received.

"Give it back," Kagome addressed Kanna in a low voice full of venom. "Give it back right now."

Kanna didn't respond. She continued to hold her mirror up with an empty look on her face. Her job was done for now, she didn't care about anything else.

"Give what back, _miko_?" Kagura enjoyed the surprised look on the girl's face.

_She recognizes me as a miko?_ "So you know," Kagome's eyes narrowed. "Then you realize there's no need for you to pretend you don't have any idea of what I'm talking about."

Kagura grinned coldly. "We can't just 'give it back' to you. You have to _earn_ it back. We're not running a charity here. You'll have to fight Kanna for it, but you have to go through _me_ first." She toyed with the fan she carried tauntingly.

Before Kagome could respond to the challenge, Hayate gathered everyone's attention by clearing his throat. "Well," he coughed some more, "that was certainly interesting, wasn't it?"

He frowned at the scattered boos from his audience.

"Now that the arena's cleaned," he continued, "let's find out who our next combatants are." The two girls didn't break eye contact even when Hayate announced the next battle participants. "The next battle is between... Kagome of Leaf and Kagura of Sound!"

"Well isn't that convenient?" Kagura asked to no one in particular. Now she was finally going to prove her worth and measure this girl's potential whom her master was interested in. She could already taste her victory; the girl looked weak and pathetic compared to her.

"You can do it Gome," Naruto squeezed his sister's shoulder reassuringly. "I know you can."

"Don't let your guard down," Itachi advised from behind his mask.

"Be careful," Neji added before they went back to the overhead observatory.

Kakashi, propped up with his back to the wall merely gave her a thumbs-up sign and a smile. He had the utmost confidence in the student that gave him more injuries, aches and pains than any enemy had ever accomplished.

Kagome nodded, feeling the adrenaline rush. Blue eyes were trained on Kagura. _I have to defeat her to get Hinata's soul back._ Her fury doubled when the opponent didn't bother to hide her smirk. It tripled and boiled over when the opponent continued to taunt her.

Kagura looked positively evil. "Come and get it, kitten."

● ● ●

I love Kagome, I really do. I'm sorry if my Kagome looks or feels weak right now, but she'll get better... I promise! I just don't want her to be an instant ass-kicker, no matter how bad I want her to be... I'd like her to evolve slowly because heroes are always like that, ne? When I started to write the fic, it seemed longer to reach the parts I wanted to reach. Nine chapters and my favorite summon isn't here yet. I've written him already, too. Maybe in the next chapter his scenes will fit... maybe. I always think that and end up with something else, lol. I do feel bad for getting Zaku to beat her up badly... and poor Hinata! I love Hinata.

I honestly didn't think I cut it off in a cliffhanger until later on, because I had to end it there because it reached my favorite 10,000 word mark. I love that number. I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to tease you with a cliffhanger. It just coincided with the 10,000 words.

Okay lang kung wala, pero astig ang nagbibigay ng puna. ♥ Translation: Reviews are good but no reviews are okay, too. They keep me from updating sooner. :grin: More reviews equal faster updates, and no reviews equal slower updates because of my lazy muses. Either way is fine with me.

Thanks for reading! ♥


	10. Prelude to a Storm

**Chapter Ten: Prelude to a Storm**  
o7.31.o7  
11,242 words

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The stunned silence in the auditorium was interrupted only by painful coughs and wheezes from the proctor Hayate. Everyone including the girl left standing in the middle of the battle area looked at the smoldering ashes in front of her with emotions ranging from incredulity, awe and some even fear.

One redhead in particular was basking in bloodlust. The brush of power before the genin turned her opponent into a pile of dust had awoken his inner beast, demanding bloodshed. The display of power had been impressive and exhilarating, but there was no crimson liquid splashed on the walls or agonizing screams that were music to his ears. He wanted more.

"T-the winner is Uzumaki Kagome," Hayate's voice trembled slightly, but no one noticed. They were all too busy trying to wrap their minds around what the heck just happened.

A disguised Orochimaru could barely conceal the effects of his adrenaline rush, never had he thought his target to have this much potential. He knew from his own experiences and experiments that she was special, but this act exceeded even his highest expectations. He couldn't wait until the time came for him to harness that power and have it under his complete control.

Kagome brought trembling hands in front of her face, knees buckling. "I . . . I . . . what have I done?" Arms snaked around her waist to support her before she fell flat on her face. Blue eyes shining with unshed tears didn't even recognize who was holding her upright. "I didn't mean to kill her!" She pleaded for anyone to understand, "I . . . I wasn't thinking!"

"_You sure talk big for someone who doesn't have the power to back it up."_

Naruto gently rubbed his sister's back to calm her down as she explained, "I was . . . it was like . . . I felt like I wasn't in control anymore. I was just so mad and I only wanted to wipe the smirk off her face," and continued to sob, burrowing into his shoulder.

"_What is your dear friend going to think when she finds out you can't even help her with your puny efforts?"_

A clean-up crew came forward and neatly swept the ashes off the arena. A pale-faced Arashi was conferring with the other high representatives, with the Sandaime keeping a hand on his arm to physically restrain him from rushing to his daughter's side. Mushin was currently talking to them.

"_The only way to save your friend is for you to kill me." _

The frustration of feeling helpless, the thought of her best friend dying, and the white hot anger that accompanied Kagura showing off how much difference they had in power by dealing damage after damage to her without even laying a finger on her body compounded. Kagome aptly nicknamed her the Wind Witch, since she used her fan to manipulate the wind to attack her opponent, and her attitude was that of a witch.

As the fight progressed, the young miko had a multitude of cuts all over her body while Kagura continued to play with her, taunting her from her position high above, sitting on a giant floating feather. Kagome's biggest wound was on her right thigh, and it bled profusely as she continued to barely escape attacks. Kagura enjoyed not only inflicting physical wounds on her target, but also relished in messing with the kunoichi's mind.

"_Defeat me and Kanna will give your friend's soul back. Or you can just let her die. Don't worry, I'll make sure that Kanna's mirror savors your friend's soul as it eats it."_

She was jealous of the close interest her master had on this untrained, unskilled, unworthy girl, and even if she wasn't allowed to kill the miko, she also wasn't prohibited from giving her hell either. She served with blind loyalty and devotion just to gain a little praise and rare pats on the head, but this girl only had to _exist_ to gain her master's attention? It was bad enough that she had to compete with her own sister and that clone who took most of their master's time! Having this twit gain favor just by being what she was grated on her nerves. She wanted to see this nobody suffer. A cut here and another there wouldn't make her master angry at her now, would it? Inflicting emotional pain was fun, too.

"After we're done with all your little friends, we'll devour your family's next. Your brother's soul looks a little tasty. Or maybe your dear old daddy's―" The wind witch's eyes grew wide when the miko suddenly catapulted herself on a wall, chakra-laced feet boosting her jump unto Kagura's feather. Faster than she could duck, the girl had her in an unbreakable hold.

The touch of Kagome's hand on her skin was electric.

Kagura looked into Kagome's eyes which changed from blue to all white, freezing her in position. It was the last thing she knew before unimaginable pain running through her very blood and then ceasing to exist. The feather disappeared and Kagome fell back to the ground together with ashes neatly piling themselves on the floor.

White pupils turned back to blue when she blinked, eyes growing wide at her actions. Confusion mixed with the anger still running through her veins. Seconds felt like an eternity. She didn't even hear Hayate announce her as the victor, too absorbed at the reality that she just _killed _someone. She never noticed Neji, who stood behind Naruto; didn't even notice Itachi struggling to keep his stoic façade beside Neji. All of them worried about how she was reacting, knowing this was her first time killing someone.

"It's not your fault, Gome. We don't have to stay and watch the rest of the remaining matches," Naruto whispered for her ears only, his voice filled with tenderness and pride. His sister had just kicked butt. He didn't want anyone to laugh at her because she looked traumatized by what just happened. She was on the verge of tears, he could tell. "Why don't we go visit Hinata―"

Kagome whirled around so fast, her hair hit Naruto in the face, cutting him off. "Hinata!" Her shock immediately vanished. Now wasn't the time for self-pity. She had to focus. She was not only a kunoichi, but a friend first. Crying would not bring Hinata's soul back; she reminded herself and hardened her resolve.

Itachi and Neji raised an eyebrow each over the sudden change in her demeanor. One minute she was distraught and the second next she was fired up. Tch. Girls . . . or was it just her? They followed closely as she slightly limped up the stairs to where the two white-haired Sound genins were.

"Give it back," she whispered harshly as she stopped just within inches in front of Kanna, determined blue eyes looking down at the shorter girl.

Kanna didn't even bat an eye.

Kagome leaned closer, teeth gritting in an effort to stay calm. She didn't know how long Hinata would survive her current state and she wasn't willing to gamble on it. The girl was wasting precious time.

"What are you doing?" Naruto whispered, confused.

He was ignored. Kagome's full attention was on the impassive chibi. "If you don't cooperate—" she took a threatening stance, shoulders squared, fists clenched.

"Kagome, you're not allowed to fight outside the ring," Neji reminded, preparing to step in.

Hakudoshi sighed loudly from his position on the wall with his arms crossed across his chest. The wounds from his fight with Neji had already healed through his fast regenerative powers and he didn't care one bit about what happened to Kagura, but they couldn't afford to lose Kanna at the moment. She still had a mission to fulfill and who knew how the miko would react? She looked pretty weak to him but the power she exhibited moments before worried him.

Was that the reason why Orochimaru-sama wanted the girl? If not for his master, he wouldn't be participating in these stupid, idiotic, unimportant tests. Being a ninja held no value for him, but who was he to deny an order from the one who saved him? He had no memory of the life he had before the snake sannin rescued him and his sisters from angry villagers who labeled them freaks. He could only recall for sure that Kanna and Kagura were kin, although he and Kagura bore no physical resemblance to each other.

Life before Orochimaru-sama was filled with poverty, no roof above their heads and regular abuse from people who labeled them abnormal. Orphans who exhibited strange characteristics were considered outcasts and the lowest scum, good only for occasional beatings or public acts of humiliation that was considered sport in the village they stayed at. Orochimaru-sama changed that, and serving him without reservations was the only way to pay off their life debt. Orochimaru-sama was their master, their everything.

And his will was absolute.

"Isn't that enough, Kanna?" He ignored everyone else in the room, looking only at his sister. "Let it go already, she's not important." Talking to her through their mental link would be useless; she never replied to anyone and had the habit of talking only to their master anyway.

The siblings stared at each other, seemingly having their own conversation through the looks in their eyes. Sounds of the adults talking below, locked in an apparent serious discussion, floated up to the balcony but the people who weren't gossiping amongst themselves were too busy trying to eavesdrop on the group of Konoha shinobi making demands on the Sound-nins.

Was there going to be a showdown? Was the Konoha girl going to attack if her demands weren't met? Was she going to show them another spectacular feint before leaving her enemy, literally, in the dust? It was all confusing and abnormally riveting at the same time.

Naruto exchanged glances with Neji, silently wondering if the Hyuuga was as confused as he was. Itachi looked stone-faced as usual, never revealing anything, but he did look prepared to do battle if the two white-haired chibis decided to attack.

Off to one side, not even Kankuro or Temari notice Gaara's confusion as he stared at Kagome. He could feel Shukaku's restlessness but didn't understand what caused it. The One Tail was insane and never made any sense to him. If he cared, it was almost like the Ichibi was trying to tell him something. . . but he didn't, so it was a moot point. Perhaps it was just excited at the death that occurred and was eager for more. Hell, _he_ was. He was eager to see a lot of blood spilled but incineration would do for now, too.

Whatever anticipations anyone had for a fight were dashed when Kanna finally broke eye contact with her older brother and silently held her mirror up. Nobody had the slightest idea what it did when it glowed again, but Kagome looked visibly relieved to see a willowy white substance visible only to her escape it and float away from the glowing death trap. She turned around without saying a word, intent on following the soul to make sure it went back to its proper body, but the Yondaime was waiting for them at the end of the stairs.

Arashi longed to give his children a hug, but not here. Not in front of others. Right now he had to be the Yondaime first before being a father, no matter how confused his son looked and no matter how traumatized his daughter seemed.

"Go take her to the infirmary to get her wounds treated," Arashi looked at Itachi as he gave his order, pausing to include Neji in his line of sight. He continued to look nonchalant as he dropped his voice to a whisper at the next words, only for the Uchiha's ears. "Take her straight home afterwards and don't let anyone but family in. I'll come home as soon as I can."

A slight nod was the only sign Itachi gave to indicate his orders were heard, mind already set on staying over the Yondaime's house for the night.

ღ

"Demons!" Mushin gasped, unwilling to believe what his grandson just said. The rest of the shinobi in the circle looked at the monk in the same way. They were giving the young monk looks that suggested he'd lost his marbles.

"Think about it," Miroku nodded at his grandfather. "Did you feel her aura just before she was purified? Her true self shone through before she turned to dust."

Mushin's face was grim. "I suspected as much but I didn't want to jump to any conclusions. Not all demons mean harm, and it's not my place to question why they're pretending to be shinobi."

"What do you mean not all demons mean harm!?" A Rain-nin shrieked shrilly, showing behavior that was very unbecoming of a shinobi. "Demons are demons. They're evil. They need to be exterminated on sight! Just think of the damage bijuu inflict on poor, unsuspecting citizens! They're a danger to society!"

Arashi glared at the man. "The Tailed Beasts only pose a threat when they're attacked or feel threatened. They will do you no harm if you just let them be."

"Says _you_ who defeated the Kyuubi," The Rain-nin scoffed at him. "Not all villages have the man power to face off against a Tailed Beast, Yondaime-sama," he sneered. "Not everyone knows of forbidden techniques to seal bijuu into human containers."

Arashi's fist curled tightly, body tensing.

"Tailed Demons are very different from demons who take on human forms," Mushin interrupted softly before a brawl broke out. "If you think bijuu are dangerous, then you can't even begin to imagine the damage a demon in human form is capable of. Your strongest shinobi techniques are child's play compared to a Tailed Demon in human form, or any demon in human form for that matter." He felt a perverse sense of satisfaction from the scared looks on the shinobi's faces.

"Then what of the girl who defeated the demon?" A Grass representative asked. "I think I heard the demon call her miko," he watched closely for any signs on the Leaf nins' expressions, "during their fight."

"A holy miko?" A Sand representative gasped. He couldn't believe he didn't catch that particular exchange. "Is she a true priestess? There are many monks and shrine maidens spread out in the different countries, but if Konoha has a _genuine_ one that has true purification powers, it makes me wonder why their so-called allies," he spat the word, "weren't informed of this earlier." If Konoha had a trained miko under their command, their plans for invasion needed a lot more tweaking.

"The referee said 'Uzumaki Kagome' when he announced the winner," a carefully disguised Orochimaru added, pointing out what the rest of the non-Leaf-nins additionally missed. None of them had the slightest inkling that he wasn't who he appeared to be on the outside, thanks to his superior concealment jutsu. To everyone else, he looked like a perfectly normal shinobi. "Is she related to you, Yondaime-sama?" He asked in an innocent tone of voice.

"She is my daughter, yes. Is there anything wrong with that?" Arashi replied evenly, a little defensive. Was he trying to imply something?

"And Uzumaki Naruto, the genin who looks just like you is your son, is he not?" He continued, waiting for Arashi to nod. "Hmmm, interesting. So Konoha not only has a miko, but if memory serves me right, the jinchuriki with the Kyuubi sealed inside him as well. That's very impressive. Bijuu are uncontrollable, even if jinchuriki are able to harness their power. The First Hokage of Konoha was rumored to be able to know jutsu that could control them, but with a miko at your disposal . . ." He purposely trailed off.

"With a miko at their disposal what?" The Suna representative prodded.

Orochimaru turned to look at him straight in the eye before answering, "With a _real_ priestess at their disposal, they could make _any_ jinchuriki do _anything _they want."

Arashi's eyes widened, "I've never heard of that. . ."

"That's absurd!" The Rain representative exploded.

"It can't be!" A Cloud Village representative gasped, stunned. If what was said was true, their village's own two-tail jinchuriki, Yugito Nii, was at risk. He refused to believe it, but it was worth reporting to his village for.

"You react as if you expect Konoha to turn around and stab you in the back with an army of demons!" Mushin didn't bother to hide the disgust in his voice. "I have been training that child since she could identify one sutra from another. I can assure you that she is not being groomed for plans of world domination."

"And we can trust the safety of our villages based solely on your word because . . . ?" A Rain-nin blistered.

"My grandfather does not lie about things concerning Kagome-sama," Miroku answered in behalf of Mushin. "We have taken a sacred oath to keep her pure and safe from evil intentions. Priestesses gifted with holy powers are our guardians, protectors from evil. The need for humans with holy powers have diminished throughout the years with the decline of demonic attacks against ordinary people and the rise of the shinobi, so all of you should consider meeting a true miko in your lifetimes a very rare opportunity."

The shinobi took a minute to digest the information before turning on each other again.

"It still doesn't change the fact that she is a risk to all the other villages." The Rain representative insisted.

"Don't you mean a risk to your two-tail," a Sand-nin sneered.

"Fools, all of you." Mushin muttered, earning glares from the others. "What I am personally worried about is the demon that the miko just purified, and what he was doing, posing as a Sound Ninja. Shouldn't you all be more worried about that as well?"

ღ

"That's cool!" Naruto stated loudly, caught himself, looking at the others in the room for confirmation. "I mean, come on, it's cool, right? I've never seen anyone turned to dust by a mere touch before. Who knew Kagome knew such a cool move?" Hah, nobody was going to laugh and say old monk Mushin taught his sister nothing but girly jutsu now! "You shouldn't feel bad, Gome. I thought you did really well. You showed those creeps what you're made of!"

He maintained his enthusiasm even though all she gave him was a forced smile.

"And Hinata's okay now, the medics say all she needs is some rest. Her dad even said we can drop by tomorrow to see how she's doing, so cheer up, okay? You should be excited, you passed the preliminary exams! The next time we fight, we'll be even stronger and we'll show everyone who whispered behind our backs our true power!" A tightly clenched fist shook angrily at the thought of the whispered comments he overheard behind their backs, but his hold around his sister remained at the same time.

Kagome had refused to let go of him, burying her head in Naruto's chest for comfort as soon as they exited the stadium. He felt every tremor that wracked his sister's body, and although it made walking very difficult, he allowed her to do it. They made a quick stop to check on Hinata, Itachi having to use his powers of persuasion to allow the guards to let them sneak a peek.

Hiashi walked in on them several seconds later, alerted of their presence, but he didn't kick them out. Instead, he was generous enough to inform them of his daughter's condition, assuring them that the medics told him of her miraculous recovery and that she was just sleeping now. He didn't know what happened out there, but he heard reports of what transpired between his daughter's bestfriend and his daughter's opponent. He had no evidence to prove it, but he had a sneaking suspicion the child had something to do with it. Addressing Neji in particular, instructing them to come to the Hyuuga compound tomorrow if they wished to.

"I'm sure Hinata would like the company."

The Hyuuga clan head extended the invitation to everyone, but Itachi got the silent 'Don't bother to come, you're not welcome' message hidden behind his words. The Uchiha chose to ignore it, disliking the rival clan head even more.

"We'll all go visit her tomorrow," Itachi said, emphasizing the word 'all' as they now gathered in the Uzumaki home. There was no way in hell he was going to be left out by that crafty old man. They saw Kakashi when they checked up on Sasuke's condition and the man was insisting on beefing up security on the recovering, still unconscious genin.

"Hinata-sama is fine," Neji added, pausing before getting to what he suspected was the root of her mood. "Shinobi are expected to eliminate targets when their mission deems it so. We must all be prepared for that day to come, no matter what our preferences might be. I understand your distress, but what you have done is only normal. I would have done the same thing to my opponent if the proctor didn't stop me in time."

If his attack wasn't halted by Hayate, he doubted Hakudoshi would still be standing right now.

"Yeah," Naruto agreed, "You just happened to be faster than him, that's all, right?"

"I still didn't intend to turn her into dust," Kagome muttered, disgusted with her actions. "I don't even know what I did. It felt like an outer body experience. One minute she was there, the next minute she went literally poof. My anger blinded me so much I couldn't focus on anything else."

"But that was cool though," Naruto insisted. "I wish I could do what you did. I bet it'd come in handy in a tight pinch."

Haku nodded, wishing he had something more to say than just sit there silently. "I wish I could've seen it." Naruto filled him in on the action he'd missed, but he would've preferred witnessing it first hand.

Naruto shot him a pitying look. "Well, once Kagome figures it out, maybe she'll be kind enough to teach you, Haku. I want to learn that move, too." He sounded just a little bit envious.

"I'm afraid that's one jutsu that you'll never get to handle, brat" interrupted a droll voice from the window.

"Holy crap old man, don't scare me like that!" Naruto frowned, hand on chest as if to slow the pounding there. "Don't you ever use the doors, ero sennin?"

Jiraiya hopped into the room, drawling "Not when I'm eavesdropping on conversations, brat."

Naruto's frown deepened, biting back a retort, instead asking, "What do you mean I wouldn't be able to handle it? Do you mean to say it's a high level technique?" He snorted, "Of course I can handle it! I'll practice until I get it, no big deal."

"Not from what I heard," Jiraiya snorted right back at him, settling down on an unoccupied sofa, away from Neji who was sitting on one, Kakashi and Haku who were sitting on another, and Itachi who was flanking Kagome with Naruto on her other side.

"What do you mean?" asked Itachi.

Jiraiya looked at the teen in the eyes for a moment, then answered. "From what I heard, it's not anything top secret mind you," he clarified just in case anyone got the wrong impression, "Kagome's opponent was a demon in human form."

Naruto visibly tensed.

Itachi looked pensive. "You mean a jinchuuriki?"

Jiraiya shook his head, "No, I mean a demon in human form. No container, just the demon. Imagine a bijuu shape shifting to look human."

"Impossible!" Neji was an unbeliever. "What would a demon be doing, taking a chuunin exam?"

"That is an excellent question that no one knows the answer to except for the demon itself," Miroku answered from the door as he entered with his grandfather. "Arashi-sama is still talking to the other representatives," he explained at the twins' searching looks. "They're all in an uproar at how Sound could have done this, but the Sound representatives are strongly insisting they didn't know one of their genin was a demon or had any demonic nature for that matter. They claim to have no knowledge of her demonic background when they recruited her. According to them, they're a newly formed village so they're not exactly selective of their new shinobi. 'Anyone who wants to join is welcome'," he quoted.

"Lies, I bet." Jiraiya quirked a brow.

"I think so too but they keep denying any knowledge about her true nature and not even grandfather or I have any solid proof to smoke the other two out without causing more tension than there already is. Jinchuuriki are one thing; all the villages used them in the great shinobi wars. _ This_ is another." Miroku let out a sigh. "We were allowed to use some sutras, and I can almost feel a demonic aura if I try hard enough, but they're either really good at keeping their auras down or I need more spiritual power to sense them. I don't have Kagome-sama's power and they look so innocent, it's really hard to convince the others they're more than what they seem. They could just be really good shinobi with really good jutsu after all. And even if they're 'siblings', they claim to have no recollection if they really are blood related. The older chibi claims to have no memory of their lives before they lived in a village before they joined Sound."

Kagome was slowly getting out of her pity party, leaning on Naruto's shoulder instead of burying her head there. It was comforting. She dared a quick look at Itachi's face and was surprised to find him looking at her in the corner of his eyes. He wasn't smiling, though his eyes conveyed emotion that wasn't perceptible to the others but was crystal clear to her. She gave him a tiny smile and reached for his hand, giving her a soft squeeze in return while everyone was focused on the conversation.

Only Jiraiya noticed the exchange, but didn't give any indication.

"That boy I fought. . . Hakudoshi, was it?" Neji spoke. "When I fought him and used my Byakugan, I didn't notice anything different with him from that of any other normal human being. His chakra supply was above normal, but I could say the same thing for many other ninjas, Naruto and Arashi-sama for instance."

Miroku reluctantly nodded. "That much was confirmed by two other Hyuugas in the meeting. I don't think we could expose a demon masquerading as a human just by looking at their chakra alone, but it was still worth a try. The smaller chibi's reluctance to speak to us or answer our questions doesn't mean she's a demon either. Just very unfriendly and reserved. The older one says she's very introverted and doesn't like to talk."

"So, what now?" Jiraiya asked.

Miroku focused his gaze on Kagome when he replied. "I was hoping you could give me or grandfather some pointers on how you were able to tell that Kagura was demonic. Any tip could help, something that we missed maybe―"

Kagome's eyes widened and she blurted out, "But I didn't even know she was a demon!"

Miroku was undaunted. "Didn't you notice anything odd about the other two? Anything at all?" He paused, "Did you sense anything else from anybody for that matter? What about that red haired kid from Suna? The one with the gourd strapped on his back, gave me the chills. Weird kid. He fought against Lee after you left."

"Did Fuzzy Brows win?" Naruto asked. Oddly enough, the results of the other matches didn't interest him until now.

"No, he was defeated and got injured badly. He almost died. If Gai-san didn't intervene in time. . ." Miroku suppressed a shudder from his encounter with the kid. The red head kept giving him odd looks. He would've welcomed them if only Gaara was a curvaceous, fertile woman worthy of bearing him a child, but sadly, the creepy genin just wasn't his type. "Maybe you could do that purification jutsu on them and see if―"

"Purification jutsu?" Kagome knew what that was from her scrolls, but she didn't know . . . "So I purified her? Is that what I did?"

"Yes, you did." Miroku's brows furrowed at her puzzled look. "I thought you knew that's why you did it? In any case, if you do it again and they're just ordinary humans, it wouldn't hurt them one bit."

Kagome was more embarrassed at her ignorance now, compared to her earlier mortification at 'killing' someone. Somehow, the knowledge that she purified a demon instead of killing a fellow human lifted the burden from her heart. Ignoring the shame settling in her gut at placing more importance on a human life than a demon's, she replied "I wasn't very um, aware of what I was doing at the time and didn't even know she was demonic. I just reacted to her taunts. To tell you the truth I wasn't really in full control," and turned crimson. "I've read about purification before, but Mushin-sama has never given me exercises or instructed me to practice it."

"So how did you do it to that girl?" Naruto inquired.

Kagome shrugged, absently fiddling on Itachi's fingers nervously as she shifted uncomfortably. "I can't explain. I don't know . . . It just sort of happened I'm telling you. I'm not even sure if I can do it again."

If they wanted her to do it again, they were in for a world of disappointment.

"I'm sorry," her dark head bowed pitifully.

Naruto patted her hair sympathetically. "That's alright, it's not your fault."

"You should be proud you were able to do something not even your master has accomplished," Neji contributed, earning him a narrowed glance from Mushin from the unintentional jab.

Arashi didn't care if anyone thought him rude when he excused himself from their presence with a quick "Now if you'll excuse me, I have some business to attend to." Not bothering to wait for their reply. There were still a lot of unresolved matters between the villages, but the representatives were also eager to report back to their own villages, so the meeting was adjourned.

At this point, he frankly didn't care what the other villages thought of their village. All he wanted was for them to stop insinuating that his children were involved in some diabolical plot to overtake all the other villages by use of bijuu and something or other crap he didn't give a rat's ass about.

Impatience and urgency got the best of him as he exited the building, instinct guided his hands to form familiar seals of the technique that deemed him the Yellow Flash of Konoha. He entered his home just in time to hear Neji's suggestion:

"If they're really concerned about it, why don't we just accompany Kagome to where they're staying and surprise them? We do it incognito or on the pretense of a casual visit and our numbers would ensure her safety. It wouldn't hurt to see if we could get a reaction from them or not. If you're that worried about it, we might ease some of that worry right now."

"That would be a no go," Arashi answered before anyone else could speak. "The representatives have gone to report back to their villages and Sound has taken their two remaining genin with them. For protection, they said," he added in disgust. "They fear attack from overzealous shinobi who wouldn't think twice about proving if they really are demons or not."

"Papa!"

Arashi braced himself from the impact of the body thrown at him. Naruto was more reserved, leaning forward only to earn the pat on his head. Maneuvering back to the sofa they vacated was a little difficult with a small body attached to his torso and another one hovering at his side, but he managed to arrange all three of them into a cramped position beside Itachi with his daughter on his lap and his son squished against his side and half on top of him, sharing the space with his sister. Kagome happily curled on his lap, stress and worry washing away at his mere presence. Papa always made things right.

"And you let them go just like that?" Mushin asked in disbelief.

"We had no other choice," Arashi answered, a little bit of frustration in his tone. "Our greatest bet of outing them were you and Miroku but you didn't provide us with any solid evidence. We can't risk an all out war with Sound just on the basis that the one and only proven demon in their ranks, which they claim to have absolutely no knowledge about, was already eliminated by our own. If we condemn the two kids without any solid evidence, we might lose a lot of support and even our allies."

"Unless you, Miroku or Kagome prove otherwise, it will be seen as an unprovoked attack against innocents," Jiraiya surmised.

"Exactly," Arashi nodded. "We have to trust on their statement that Kagura wasn't really their biological sibling for all they knew. The boy called Hakudoshi and the girl Kanna have the same coloring so they might really be siblings, but Kagura looked entirely different from them."

"For all we know, they might actually be telling the truth, right?" Jiraiya concluded. He might not be Hokage, but he was no stranger to village politics.

"I personally don't buy it but as far as that issue is concerned right now, my hands are tied." Arashi said with a helpless shrug. "And I'm not about to force my daughter to repeat something she's not even sure what. For all we know it was just a fluke."

"More like a dormant power she doesn't have control of," Mushin muttered under his breath.

"What was that?" Jiraiya asked, not quite hearing his words.

"I said we'll just have to wait for the finals then," the old monk replied. Jiraiya narrowed suspicious eyes at him as he put on his most innocent, serious face. "We'll out them one way or another. I think they're up to something but I don't have any idea as to what. I'll have Miroku dig out some specialty scrolls on that jutsu so we'll be ready next time."

"_If_ we even have any," Miroku quipped. "I wonder if we even have learning scrolls on that technique," he confided to Haku. "I'm afraid it's a lost art."

Haku nodded sympathetically then added hopefully, "Maybe it'll come natural to her. I didn't have any record of techniques my lost clan used as well, but several jutsu just came naturally after I discovered my bloodline limit. Perhaps it's the same for her?"

"I hope so," Miroku was optimistic. "If we're lucky, Kagome-sama would be able to face the creepy chibi in the Chuunin finals."

"Haha, yeah!" Naruto whooped, unaware he was digging an elbow on Arashi's side. "Then she can kick that chibi's butt, demon or not. That chibi's already afraid of you from last time, sis."

Did he forget that the chibi's older brother had to intervene? Kagome wished she had her brother's confidence in her but didn't say it out loud. Instead, she laughed feebly, "Hehe, yeah. . ."

Naruto was already in deep discussion about what he was planning to do to his opponents in the finals with Haku, while Miroku egged him on, suggesting more painful ways of dealing with opponents when Naruto's ideas weren't good enough. Arashi looked deep in thought as he half-listened to the smaller, noisy blond. In contrast to him, the two old men in the room were loudly debating what take out food they should order in celebration of the genins' successful passing of the preliminary exams while Kagome quietly made plans to visit Hinata with Itachi.

"Wait, wait a minute. So that's it? Case closed?" Neji couldn't believe it. He looked from one face busy planning their various activities to the next. Even Kagome looked completely recovered from her earlier scare.

"For now, I guess," Arashi shrugged, looking as unconcerned as the rest of them. Neji had the overwhelming urge to bash his head against something hard. One minute they were discussing serious matters, and the next minute they were acting as if nothing serious had happened. Were they nuts?

It was Itachi who summarized Neji's feelings in one sentence:

"Well that was anti-climactic."

ღ

"Kazekage-sama, I beg you to reconsider!" Baki pleaded on his hands and knees before his leader. "We might have Shukaku as a secret weapon, but Konoha not only has Kyuubi at their disposal, but a genuine miko as well. If we continue with the invasion, who knows how even Shukaku will stand against them!"

Perhaps the Kazekage would consider his many years of faithful service and use it to reevaluate the situation if he groveled hard enough. There was no way Suna was going to survive the full scale attack they had planned with this unexpected turn of events, even with Oto's help. Those monks might not pose much of a threat, but Sound would need an army of demons to counter Leaf's priestess just to make sure in his opinion, if legend was true.

Orochimaru, perfectly disguised as the Kazekage, leader of the Hidden Sand Village, waved Baki's desperate plea aside. He had no qualms in sacrificing countless lives if he could reach his goal. These fools who were stupid enough to overlook his replacement of their beloved leader weren't important; they were easily replaceable. They were all useless, good only for the jinchuuriki they had.

"They might have a priestess in their midst, but she is untrained and her potential is untapped. We will proceed as planned. Tell your team to get ready and make sure Gaara follows the plan. There will be no room for failure. Is that understood?"

Baki's nails dug into the palm of his hands as he clenched his fists tightly. A man of his position and pride had done the unthinkable and lowered himself to ask the Kazekage to reconsider, but no amount of pleading and begging could get their leader to change his mind about this doubtful alliance with the Sound Village. He hung his head in defeat, sighing, "Hai, Kazekage-sama."

He could only give his all and hope for the best now.

ღ

Although they remained suspicious against the Sound village, the Konoha shinobi and their village soon had bigger things to think about. The Chuunin finals was going to be a huge highlight and there was no time to slack off as delegates, leaders and visitors from all over kept pouring through their gates. Rumors about what happened during the prelims circulated, but there was no word on the speculations about the Sound genin being remotely demonic, as none of the villages wanted to cause mass panic by what that information would cause.

Hinata's recovery was extremely fast, virtually overnight as her friends noticed when they visited the next morning. The gentle Hyuuga couldn't even recall what type of move her opponent used, puzzled as to how she could be knocked out easily and then get up the next day with not a single scratch on her body.

Everyone was too busy with their own lives, no one paid any extra notice to the trio of Sand genins or looked deeper into the mysterious death of the Chuunin Exams preliminary round, Hayate.

Training for the Chuunin finals had been in the forefront of all the final exam qualifiers. Team 7 had an especially hard time with it, starting from day one.

Kakashi took Sasuke out of the equation quickly right after he was released from the hospital, earning the jounin two sulking genin accusing him of favoritism. He and Sasuke were very similar, he explained to the grousing twins, and it was best to go with a teacher who was most compatible to a student. Jiraiya had grudgingly agreed to training Naruto, while Mushin already had Kagome's schedule planned since she became genin.

"Sensei is playing favorites!" Kagome complained loudly, stomping her foot in protest.

"Yeah, that's unfair!" Naruto agreed just as loudly, cheeks puffing in obvious irritation. "He's our sensei too! Why does Sasuke get to have him all to himself before a very important match?!"

"Anything Sasuke can do, we can do too!" She didn't care if they were attracting attention from the people passing by. Why did she have to get stuck with Mushin all the time? "I want to learn new techniques! Mushin-sama always teaches me, can't I train with Kakashi-sensei this time?"

"Yeah, me too!" Naruto echoed.

Kagome gave him a deadpanned look, "Aren't you supposed to learn the summoning jutsu? What do you want with sensei? It's my turn now, you can have the next one."

"No way!" Naruto huffed, crossing his arms in a posture that screamed displeasure. "I want to summon dogs, not stupid old frogs like that old pervert!"

"Hey!" Arashi felt the need to defend himself. "Frogs are cool, too! Think of Gamabunta!"

Naruto blinked, considering it for a second. "Oh yeah . . . I forgot about that."

"So it's decided then. I get Kakashi-sensei and Sasuke can train with his dad or someone else."

"Ah," Kakashi waved Kagome's conclusion away, "that won't do, Kagome-chan. I already have Sasuke's training in mind and I honestly don't have any techniques to teach you that would be more beneficial than what Mushin-sama could offer instead." He used his gentlest and most persuasive tone of voice in hopes of earning her agreement but he could tell it was useless. The kid was as stubborn . . . no, even more stubborn than her dad and brother combined. It was a no win situation for him.

"I wouldn't mind if Kakashi teaches Kagome at the same time as he does me," Sasuke offered nonchalantly. "It's no big deal."

"No way!" Mushin loudly protested at the same time Naruto sputtered incoherently, then caught himself.

"What!" Pointed an accusatory finger at the traitorous Uchiha, face darkened with anger. "You bastard, you're willing to speak up for Kagome but not for me?!"

Sasuke looked unaffected by his bravado. He wanted to know why Kakashi would take time to train him but not Kagome. Perhaps Kakashi's techniques would be too hard for The Idiot to learn, but Kagome wouldn't have the same problem. He thought Kakashi should train them both and told him so, insisted in a monotone fit for someone of short mental capabilities, prompting an enraged war cry from the offended party.

Jiraiya sighed as Naruto launched himself at the boy and attempted to gnaw on his head. "Naruto," the old sannin shook his head when Kagome joined the fray, chewing on Naruto's head in retaliation while telling him not to be a spoilsport that Kakashi was going to teach her and Sasuke and not him.

"Naruto!"

Mushin tried to pry Kagome off of her brother, telling her in his most authoritative voice that she wasn't going to be taught by Kakashi even if Sasuke was willing to share their sensei.

"Come on sis, why don't you go with ero sennin instead and get him to teach you rasengan or something? You need a high level technique in your arsenal that packs a real punch."

Kagome pulled harder on his hair in response, relishing his cries of pain. "How many times do I have to tell you Naruto, that I can't learn that technique like you can! Reminding me every time is just rubbing salt on my wounds." Sasuke ignored the idiot gnawing on his head and kept his attention to Kakashi, who was still yet to give him a valid answer.

"Naruto, I was planning to teach you a technique that is stronger and cooler than chidori. But if you really want to hang out with Kakashi instead of learning the technique from me, then I guess―"

"Do you swear on your stash of dirty magazines, peeping skills and perverted ways that it's really cooler and more powerful than chidori, ero sennin?!" Abandoning Sasuke's head for a minute, Naruto focused his full attention to the old man. Even Kagome looked interested.

"Of course! When have I ever lied to you, brat?"

"Hello two weeks ago when you said you'd treat me to ramen but ran off and left me with the bill afterwards," Naruto frowned at him.

Jiraiya gritted his teeth, ignoring the disapproving glare from Arashi. "Okay, _once_. That was one time―"

"And the incident before that when you promised you'd teach me a new trick but you spent it spying on those girls in the onsen."

Jiraiya ignored the bitter tone and tried not to sweat under Arashi's growing annoyance. "Twice then―"

"And before that when you sent me on a fool's errand to get those jugs of sake, telling me they were for dad but in fact they were for you."

Jiraiya glowered at him. Naruto seemed oblivious to it, forgoing his attack on Sasuke altogether and concentrating on listing the times when the old man lied to him as he kept count with his fingers, Kagome hanging off his back.

"Remember when he promised to take us to the park and we spent the day waiting for him but he never came?" said his sister.

Naruto bobbed his head in agreement, "Yeah I do. He said he was going to fly kites with us so we spent the night before making some."

"And remember that time when we were six and he convinced you that a shark could come out of the toilet?" added Kagome.

Naruto nodded, remembering. "Or when I was five and he said those mushrooms were going to make me stronger than dad but it ended up giving me a stomachache because I wasn't supposed to eat them."

"You were asking him to teach you a new technique and he just wanted to get you out of the way so he could flirt with the ladies. I don't think he thought you'd actually go and eat random mushrooms on the side of the road," Kagome pointed out.

Jiraiya turned bright red, feeling a little hot under Arashi's intense glare, amusing Kakashi to no end. He didn't dare to laugh although watching the great sannin squirm was too fun. Haku looked at the sannin with more and more disappointment, never having thought the old shinobi he had come to respect so much was capable of doing the things the twins were listing. Itachi didn't bother to conceal his disgust.

"And that time when he promised to take you to a hot spring resort, remember?" Kagome reminded, loosening her grip on Naruto.

"Yeah!" Naruto frowned at the ero sennin some more. "I didn't even get to take a dip. He told me it was going to be a day of relaxation for just the two of us, but he only brought me there as a lure for the women!" The memory of how abused his cheeks were from the countless pinching and torture he suffered that day made him shudder.

"All right, that's enough you brats!" Jiraiya exploded, and Kakashi did laugh then. He couldn't help it. Jiraiya glared at the jounin before turning on the twin terrors. "Naruto, I promise ― and I really am telling the truth this time, I'm not pulling your leg ― that I'll teach you a jutsu that's cooler and more powerful than chidori. I think this time you're ready for it, but if you think you can't handle it, that's okay, I'll just―"

"Of course I can handle it, old man!" Naruto interrupted, just as Jiraiya knew he would. "I can handle anything you dish out, dattebayo!"

"Yay, that settles it then!" Kagome jumped off of her brother's back and clapped her hands together. "I get Kakashi-sensei and―"

"Not so fast, missy." Mushin cut her off. "You're training with me and that's final. Isn't that right, Arashi-sama?"

"What?!" Arashi exclaimed, then recovered as the old monk shot him a withering stare. "Ah . . . uh . . . yes," he reluctantly agreed, avoiding his daughter's wide blue, pleading puppy dog eyes. "I think that would be for the best."

"But papa, that's so unfair!" Kagome protested, bottom lip protruding, eyes gathering moisture, fists clenching and chin trembling ― everyone recognized the signs of Arashi's impending doom. Beads of sweat started to form on the Yondaime's forehead at the strain of trying to hold his ground.

"I'll teach you something new and even throw in a couple of rare _high level_ scrolls," Mushin intervened before the Leaf's great leader caved. The man could cut down an invading army within mere minutes but he turned into putty when faced with his children.

Kagome pondered this for a moment, turning her attention to her old mentor. He could almost see the gears turning inside her head. Seconds spent in silence felt like years as he waited for her answer. After a while, she cocked her head to one side.

"Can I pick which ones?" She hedged, still not giving in. Mushin nodded. Another tense minute passed as Kagome weighed her options. Finally, she shrugged, "Okay then, we have a deal."

Mushin, along with Arashi and Jiraiya, let out a relieved breath. Arashi wanted to remind the old monk to hide the more dangerous scrolls out of his daughter's reach, but he thought it wiser to say so once the girl was out of earshot. Crisis averted, everyone enjoyed a relaxed afternoon lounging in the living room or training loosely in the backyard.

ღ

The weeks passed by in a blur, each individual busy with their own preparations for the exam. True to what he promised, Jiraiya took Naruto to the forest on the borders of Konoha to train. Nobody knew what happened between the two of them there, but Naruto was positively crowing with delight upon their return.

Kagome had also been busying herself with training, and despite her earlier protests to doing it with her old teacher, the young genin's mood was definitely more improved. Gone were the difficult mornings where Arashi had to literally drag her out of bed. Instead they were replaced with days that stretched into weeks where the family would only be complete at dinner. Breakfast was either eaten in a hurry, earlier or later than everyone else, to go or not at all. Lunch found Haku eating by his lonesome self or with whoever was hungry enough or free to come home during the day.

The twins were rather secretive about the techniques that they were learning from their masters, Kagome more so, and nobody really knew what was going on with her training save for Itachi who has become her sole non-monk training partner. The succeeding days leading to the Chuunin Finals that Itachi had free were spent with Kagome. Whatever they did remained secretive, not even Miroku or Mushin had any idea what they were doing.

When asked, both always replied, "Training," and dropped the subject. The two cohorts were very tight-lipped about it and often went home looking roughed up and exhausted.

"You look like you were just fighting for your life," Haku mentioned to Kagome one afternoon she came home early, clothes dirty and parts of her hair singed. "That or you were the recipient of a katon jutsu."

Kagome merely grinned at him, neither confirming or denying anything, and then skipped off to have a bath before dinner.

In the Uchiha household, Fugaku also expressed the same concern, although he never voiced it to anyone but his wife. It was she who remarked one afternoon, unable to hold on to her curiosity any longer at seeing her son's clothes ripped away at certain places, as if an animal had attacked him. The only thing that put her mind at ease was the fact that Itachi had no visible wounds or bleeding cuts.

"You're not overdoing yourself, are you, son?" Mikoto asked as casually as she could.

Itachi shook his head, "No, mother. Don't worry, I'm alright." _Kagome always fixes me up after training._ It was a good thing Kakashi kept Sasuke busy. Otherwise, Itachi could already see the questions he had to dodge.

The day the Chuunin Finals started, the gates of Konoha opened wide to let everyone in. Security was tight although Arashi still felt they didn't have enough manpower to cover every nook and cranny. He couldn't stop fidgeting as he sat at the Sandaime's side at the Hokage box, the Kazekage at the other.

Even as Sarutobi told him to sit still, the Sand's leader merely chuckled at him and said to the Sandaime, "My children are participating as well, so I could understand his feelings."

The first fight was between Shikamaru and Temari. The girl from Suna clearly had more power, but in the end, Shikamaru's ingenuity made him victorious. Tired and chakra-exhausted, he limped his way back to his genin friends, waving the medics away. Kagome healed his injuries and told him to rest to restore his chakra. Doing just that, he relaxed with his back against the wall as Genma announced the next match up.

"Uzumaki Naruto versus Hyuuga Neji!"

"Good luck, bro!" Kagome stood on tiptoes and pecked her brother on the cheek. Naruto returned the affection with a brief but tight squeeze and turned to his other teammate.

"Don't even think about it, dobe." Sasuke coldly interrupted him before he could do anything.

"You're so cold!" Naruto accused, wounded at his rejection.

Sasuke snorted, unaffected by the hurt in his voice. "Whatever, you're not my type, idiot."

"Yeah, well, you're going to die a virgin, you bastard!" Childish as it was, Naruto turned after blowing him a raspberry and headed for the ring.

Kagome waved goodbye to his retreating back, laughing at their exchange. "Do your best!" Sasuke frowned when Kagome turned to Neji and gave him the same treatment. "You too, Neji."

Neji had the slightest trace of pink in his cheeks where Kagome pecked him. "Thanks."

"It doesn't matter if you win or lose," she encouraged. "May the best man win!"

Without even turning, the blond gave her a thumbs-up in response. Sasuke rolled his eyes and shook his head at his corny friend.

"Just to let you know Naruto, I'm aiming for the win." Neji said as they walked towards the center of the arena.

Naruto grinned, unabashed. "Don't worry. I'm planning to win too, so no hard feelings when I do, okay? Just as she said, _may the best man win._"

"Oh don't worry, I plan to."

"Why you. . . I meant to say that I'm the best man so I'm going to win, Neji! Wha― don't give me that smirk, you know I'll win!!!" and Naruto continued his one-sided argument until they joined Genma, who was the new replacement for Hayate.

The crowd buzzed excitedly, eager to see the anticipated match between the small Yondaime clone and the ousted Hyuuga prodigy. Outsiders and fellow villagers alike avidly hoped for a chance to see if the rumors were indeed true about the Hyuuga. Was his forehead really unmarked or were the gossip about him committing atrocious deeds responsible for his banishment from his clan? The people were also interested in measuring the potential of the Yondaime clone. Each day he looked more and more like his father save for the whisker-like features on his cheeks. Did he possess the same set of skills or was he just a copy in looks, and not in talent?

Bets were placed and Genma gave the signal.

Both were dead serious as the match began. Despite being friends, the fight between the two was brutal, each genin going all out against the other. Naruto fell on his reliable kage bunshin no jutsu while Neji countered with his jyuuken. It was clear from the first few minutes that Neji's skill surpassed Naruto's. However, in the end, Naruto's tenacity and will power pulled through and the match ended with an almost draw ― just as Neji hit the ground with his body totally exhausted and chakra depleted, Naruto fell right after him with the same state, chakra holes closed and no longer in any condition to fight.

Genma declared a draw, much to the crowd's displeasure, and announced the combatants for the next round.

"Alright, it's your turn!!!" Naruto hooted and hollered as he cheered enthusiastically for his sister.

Neji was still in the infirmary, so Sasuke capitalized on his absence by giving Kagome words of encouragement. "Good luck," he said over Naruto's noise.

"Thanks!" Kagome waved to her teammates, Shikamaru, and Shino who was leaning on the far wall. Inside the ring, she couldn't help but grin at the half-wink Genma gave as he ordered the opponents to face each other. Kagome tried to find her center and refused to be intimidated as Kanna stared impassively at her.

"Begin!" Genma declared and stepped out of the way.

Kagome jumped back several feet away from the chibi. The crowd watched in confusion as no weapons were drawn by the two girls. The white-haired chibi was holding a mirror while the Leaf genin brought her right hand forward. The pointer and middle finger pointed up, while the three remaining fingers curled together. Everything else was tuned out as she gathered her energy and aimed at the chibi.

Surprise was reflected in Kanna's eyes as a barrier suddenly appeared around the lower half of her mirror. She pulled her looking glass, but discovered that it was stuck in Kagome's kekkai. With a sweeping hand motion, the barrier shrunk and imploded, shattering the mirror inside it. Broken glass splayed where her precious soul-sucking mirror once was, tearing Kanna's sleeves and breaking through her soft skin.

Kagome pointed and aimed again. Reacting out of instinct, Kanna suddenly materialized a few meters from where she originally stood, just in time to avoid the kekkai that appeared near the ground, designed to capture her feet in place.

"Drat!" Kagome lunged, continuing her assault. "Stay still, darn it!" If she could only capture the girl in place like she practiced with Itachi. . .

"_So, what special scroll did Mushin-sama give you?" asked Itachi as they met for practice one afternoon._

_Kagome huffed and plopped down on the ground, hard. "He cheated. He gave me two scrolls as promised but I don't understand the basics of the techniques written, so they're pretty much useless to me at this point. Cunning old man! I bet he knew this, that's why he didn't object when I picked the ones on the highest shelf."_

_Itachi looked down at the sulking genin, amused. "Do you really need to get ahead of yourself though? Aren't the techniques he already taught you enough?"_

"_Of course not, duh."_

_The young ANBU shook his head. "I think you have the best jutsu in your arsenal already. You're just not making full use of it."_

"_What do you mean?"_

"_Well. . ." Itachi squatted on the space beside her, picking up a discarded twig and drawing a box on the ground and a little stick figure inside it. He drew a circle to represent an enemy outside the box and several arrows pointing towards the stick figure inside the box to indicate the enemy attacking her barrier. "Your kekkai jutsu is almost impenetrable against attacks by now, right?" _

_  
Kagome nodded, curious as to where he was going with this._

"_How about," underneath he drew another stick figure and another circle, but instead of drawing a box around the stick figure, he drew it around the circle, "creating a kekkai, not around yourself, but your enemy."_

"_As a way of capturing him?" Kagome immediately guessed, liking the idea. "It would probably save me a lot of needless battles if I do it right," she nodded._

"_Or you can destroy a target from a distance without even touching it," Itachi suggested._

"_Huh?"_

"_Think about it. If you shrink the kekkai or better yet ― cause it to implode on itself ― wouldn't you be able to take out targets from a distance? I think that's just as good as any of the best jutsus around. If you can make it strong enough, you can be on the offensive and defensive at the same time."_

_Kagome's eyes sparkled at the possibilities. "Let's try it!"_

_Itachi easily agreed to be her sparring partner, and all their time away from work and training for the Chuunin finals were spent perfecting this technique he theorized. Days turned into weeks and little progress had been made. The idea of imploding a kekkai on itself was easier said than done and executing the act proved strenuous for Kagome. Itachi couldn't provide anything more than support and theory since he couldn't really do the jutsu himself._

_Neither of them gave up though, and as soon as the young miko got used to collapsing the barrier unto itself rather than fortifying it in a steady pace, the real training began._

_First Itachi told her to start with small things: leaves, rocks, sticks and whatever else they could find in their training grounds. Then it progressed into Itachi's shadow clones, which took a few more weeks to overcome. The rest of the time they had left until the chuunin finals after that was spent trying to enclose and negate small-sized, weakly powered katon jutsus._

_They made the terrible mistake of going at it in normal power the first time and the results were disastrous. It was really a good thing that her long hair hid the bald spot she got from the backlash of the imploded fire jutsu. _

_The real tricky part of her newfound technique was to how to make the kekkai collapse safe enough not to cause a recoil reaction. Kagome nearly gave up hope until she was finally able to control it just mere days before the finals._

Having tested it only on Itachi in a half-hearted match, Kagome found her new jutsu to still be inadequate. Sure she had Kanna on the run, but it was only a matter of time before the girl could think of a counterattack.

Up on the balcony, Sakura turned to the girl sitting beside her. "Wow Hinata, I've never seen Kagome so relentless and aggressive in a fight before."

"Yeah," agreed the blonde girl who was sitting on Sakura's other side. "I never thought she could use her technique in that way either."

Hinata smiled at Ino and Sakura, "Y-yeah. . ." She was proud of her friend's obvious improvement, but she couldn't help but feel nervous. Kagome was fighting the girl who took her out during the prelims without even touching her. It was her sincere hope that the same fate wouldn't happen to her best friend.

The crowd grew more restless as the fight dragged on; Kagome kept up her offensive and Kanna did nothing but evade.

"The chibi is so afraid of that weird jutsu, she's probably gone blank," a spectator mused as he cheered for his Hokage's daughter.

"Doesn't she have any other weapon aside from that mirror the Konoha genin shattered earlier?" Another questioned loudly from the middle row.

Kagome was now more aggressive than ever, adding taijutsu attacks to her assault. Tired of dodging the blows, Kanna was paying Kagome back for every blow that she got. Blows landed on each other became harder than the next one. Exhaustion was slowly taking over Kagome but she maintained her relentless attack. Seeing the beads of sweat on Kanna's forehead showed her fatigue as well.

"I've never seen Kanna exert so much effort before," a hooded figure standing beside Hakudoshi said.

"Hn," replied Hakudoshi, keeping his eyes on his sister and her opponent.

"It's too bad she's destined to lose," his companion continued. "If Kagura didn't fumble with her role and if you won against that Hyuuga, it could've been you or Kagura out there."

"Yeah," Hakudoshi gritted his teeth.

"Maybe if she's lucky enough, she won't end up in a pile of dust like Kagura did."

_Bitch_, Hakudoshi thought but said nothing. Hopefully, his own hood covered his narrowed eyes and pursed lips.

Back in the arena, a lucky break presented itself when Kagome cornered Kanna using two kekkai walls and landed a hard kick at the chibi's head. Kanna fell with a thud on the ground, dizzy. Kagome pounced on the opening, erecting a barrier around her.

"Hah!" Kagome paused to catch her breath, right hand shaking with the strain of holding the barrier. "I did it," she breathed, hardly believing it actually happened. The plan took longer to execute, but she followed Itachi's instructions carefully and now, she actually did it.

Kanna kicked and punched at the walls to no avail. She tried a complicated fire jutsu next, but Kagome held fast, supporting her right hand with her left to keep up the prison that encased her prey. Shikamaru faced a similar situation earlier when he trapped the Sand genin using his kagemane no jutsu.

_Does that mean I'm also at a stalemate? _Kagome shook her head, banishing those thoughts away. No, she didn't practice so hard all these weeks just to give up at the end.

The kekkai visibly shrunk, limiting Kanna's movements.

"Say you give up," Kagome advised seriously. "Tell the instructor you give up and I won't hurt you. I'll let you go."

When Kanna remained stubbornly silent, she shrunk the barrier again, prepared to use torture if necessary.

"Say you give u―"

"I give up," Kanna said in a monotone.

"Wha―?" Kagome and Genma said at the same time. Kagome didn't think victory would come so swiftly.

"I do not wish to fight anymore," Kanna directed the statement at a bewildered-looking Genma.

The crowd roared, half in displeasure and half in excited disbelief.

"Well then," Genma recovered, raising a hand in Kagome's direction. "The winner is Uzumaki Kagome!"

"Yeah!" she could hear Naruto's voice above the crowd's noise. "That's my sister! Woohoo! Way to go, sis!!!" He engaged Shikamaru in a happy dance, much to the genius' annoyance. A safe distance away from the dancing pair, Sasuke clapped his hands at his teammate. His match was next against that redhead who gave Miroku goose bumps.

Kagome grinned widely and happily cheered as she released Kanna.

Genma gave her a congratulatory pat on the back. "That was a good fight, Kagome-cha―"

_BOOM!_

The sudden explosion rocked the foundations of the coliseum, startling everyone. Heads turned to look for the cause of the blast when a woman's voice suddenly screamed.

"The Hokage's Box has been blown up!!!"

Kagome looked up to where her father should be sitting with the Sandaime and the Kazekage, but the smoke from the bomb obstructed her view. Another moment later, a lightheaded feeling overcame her.

Even as she fought to keep her eyelids open, they already had a mind of their own. Drooping low to cover her vision, the last thing she saw was Genma performing a hand sign.

Konoha was under attack.

● ● ●

_Oh noes, did I just kill the Yondaime? Oops._

_So I was wrong about the summon. I'm sorry! This chapter was longer than I expected and I had to cut it off in two parts. I'm really sorry for the long wait. I sort of lost interest in this story for a little bit and I thought about leaving it, but somehow I started writing it again. I've been really busy offline and fanfic hasn't been on my top priority when I get access to the computer. Sorry! I haven't read my emails for months!_

_I won't get access to the computer or the internet sometime next month, so I can't say for sure when the next update will be, but __**thank you **__to everyone who is still supporting this! Especially to Sadist Sai who knows how to make me feel guilty enough to update and to those who scared me with their reviews. :D _


	11. Phoenix Down

**Chapter Eleven: Phoenix Down**  
o8.10.o7  
_10,639 words_

● ● ●

As a cloud of sleep blanketed the coliseum, Genma stepped over to where Kagome collapsed on the ground, fully on guard against Kanna who was standing a few feet away from them.

"Kai!"

Kagome slowly revived, and groaned before yawning loudly as the effects of the jutsu vanished. "Wha― what happened?" Sounds of weapons clashing and minor blasts from colliding jutsus replaced the noises the crowd made. Civilians and shinobi alike littered the coliseum grounds, some from the sleep jutsu and others from defeat in the battle that ensued.

Genma could see a Kakashi-shaped dot fighting alongside a Gai-shaped one in one part of the bleachers. All around them, individual Konoha ANBU were fighting pairs of Sound and Sand shinobi.

"Papa!" Kagome suddenly remembered, and jumped in surprise as several people suddenly joined Kanna's side.

The three siblings from Suna, their jounin instructor Baki, and. . .

"Hakudoshi!" Kagome exclaimed. Why did Naruto have to beat up Neji so hard knowing he didn't possess the same fast regenerative skills he had at a time like this? She wanted to go to the Hokage box, but she couldn't leave Genma to face all these enemies alone. Mou!

"You're late," Genma drawled at the newcomers who finally made their way to his and Kagome's side.

"That would be Naruto's fault," Sasuke replied. "Dobe didn't dispel the genjutsu so we had to revive him first."

"Shut up, teme!"

Genma clucked his tongue in disappointment. "Didn't Kakashi teach you guys anything? I had to revive Kagome-chan, too."

Kagome blushed, "I was distracted, okay?"

"Shikamaru-kun also pretended to have fallen asleep along with Naruto-kun, so I had to convince him to wake up," Sai added.

"How troublesome," Shikamaru looked away, irritated at Sai for not allowing him the easy way out, and mad at the idiots who were trying to invade their village. "What now?" He looked to Genma for guidance. The odds were at their favor; there were seven of them against six enemies.

"Papa. . ." Kagome trailed worriedly, biting her bottom lip. She and Naruto looked at their superior hopefully, awaiting orders.

Baki finished talking to Hakudoshi and turned to give instructions to his genin team, while Hakudoshi nodded to Kanna and disappeared in a flash.

"I believe Shino and Sasuke still have unfinished business with two of our guests," Genma said, thinking quickly. Sasuke's match with Gaara was supposed to be next, and Shino was scheduled to fight Kankuro after that. "Shikamaru, I'm not going to force you to re-enact your match, but if you're up to it. . ."

"I'll take care of the troublesome female again, I guess," Shikamaru sighed. It was hopeless anyway. The twins were too distracted to fight seriously in their current states and maybe his luck would hold. Maybe he could defeat the girl again this time, no matter how annoying fighting with a female was to him.

At Baki's nod, Gaara, Temari and Kankuro also took off, leaving him to face the Konoha team alone.

"I could take care of Hakudoshi and the chibi," Sai unexpectedly volunteered, secretly fulfilling his secret agenda.

Genma gave him an approving nod. "Alright, then the others could go see if the Hokages are okay and I'll take care of Baki. Shikamaru, you're in charge. That's it, move out and try not to die out there."

"Thanks, you guys," Naruto and Kagome echoed gratefully.

Kagome turned to Sasuke, "We'll follow you as soon as we can."

Naruto nodded. "Yeah so don't do anything I wouldn't do," he told Shino and Shikamaru gruffly.

"So that means just about everything, right?" Shino finally spoke. Kagome was the only one who laughed at his statement.

"I'll be done by the time you catch up," Sasuke replied with a confident smirk.

"Okay, let's move out," Shikamaru ordered, eager to get this show on the road. The genins split up, leaving Genma alone with Baki. Kagome gave one last look behind as she left with her brother, catching Sasuke doing the same thing over his shoulder.

"Look there!" Naruto called out excitedly, snapping Kagome's attention back to their mission as Sasuke faded from view. Atop the building where the damaged Hokage box was their father with the Sandaime, facing off against the Kazekage and a hooded figure. "Dad!!!"

The twins rushed to their father's side, "I'm so glad you're alright!" Kagome barreled into him, hugging his middle.

"Yeah, we were worried there for a second," Naruto admitted.

Arashi crushed both kids close. "You didn't think I'd actually die in such an uncool way, did you? It'll take more than a reject sannin to get me."

Orochimaru chuckled, shedding his Kazekage disguise. "So you finally found me out. Took you long enough though," he gestured for his companion to do the same.

Sarutobi, Arashi, Naruto and Kagome collectively gasped.

Naruto gaped from one identical face to another. "She looks just like you!" he pointed at his sister, then at the stranger. "Why does she look like you?" Except for the hairstyle and eye color, the two looked like carbon copies of each other.

Kagome shook her head and opened her mouth to answer him but nothing came out for several seconds before she managed to stutter "I . . . I . . . don't know!" as she stared like a fool at her doppelganger.

"Do I have another sister?" Naruto couldn't grasp the concept. He was confused, very confused.

Orochimaru laughed, sending shivers down the genins' spines. "Yes and no, Naruto-kun," he leered at them maliciously. "Let me introduce you to Kikyou. I wanted to name her Kagome, but I liked the name Kikyou better. It's a pretty name, isn't it? Fit for a pretty little thing." He circled the Kagome look-alike as he spoke, tracing soft butterfly touches around her body as he maintained eye contact with the group. It made Naruto angry to see the evil sannin do that to one who looked so much like his sister, and it made Kagome throw up a little in her mouth. Sarutobi had to physically hold Arashi back, the Yondaime looking like he wanted to pummel the sannin into a bloody pulp.

"She's . . . sort of my very obedient slave, so to speak." He paused, correcting himself. "My very own daughter," the snake sannin continued, enjoying the looks on his enemies' faces. "She does whatever I tell her to and never questions any of my orders. She serves only one purpose and that is to serve _me_," he grinned, taunting them further. Being evil was such fun. "And I got her for a bargain price, too. Met a witch who specialized in making clay soldiers. Claimed to have picked up a special _piece_ of soul but needed hair samples and such from the original to make the copy using clay and bones," he stared pointedly at Kagome who shivered in response.

Naruto instinctively stepped in front of his sister, shielding her from Orochimaru's direct view.

Orochimaru smiled, "Thank you for providing it, Kagome-chan."

"When did you have time to steal samples from my daughter?" Arashi's voice was laced with repressed anger. No way in hell could this sick traitor gotten past him to get to his daughter. The only time the two were even in the same room, no, the same _vicinity_ as each other was when . . .

"Ah yes," Orochimaru laughed at the recognition in Arashi's eyes, "So you _do_ remember, don't you, Arashi-kun? I remember it like it was just yesterday . . . Tsunade-hime was still here, if you recall correctly. That fool Jiraiya and you never suspected a thing," he taunted, voice giddy. "The child made such a ruckus but no one was the wiser." And to Kagome: "You were just a baby then but you put up quite a fuss, big tantrum and the works. I'm surprised I had my lock of hair and DNA samples without any resistance right under your father's nose."

"Leave her alone, you freak!" Naruto couldn't help himself. He couldn't recall whatever the bastard was taunting his father about, but he felt like had to retaliate somehow.

"No need for the nasty name-calling, Naruto-kun," Orochimaru looked genuinely offended. They all knew it was fake. "I have feelings too you know. And not in the presence of your sisters, please." He patted Kikyou's head possessively.

"I only have one sister! That . . . that _thing_ is not my sister!" Naruto shouted in disgust.

"The old witch did a great job, didn't she?" Orochimaru ignored him as he inspected Kikyou appraisingly. "I'm amazed at the striking resemblance as well. Kikyou has looked like this ever since her creation, yet who knew Kagome-chan would grow up to look so much like her? The hairstyles are even coincidentally close. Have you ever thought about growing your hair this long, Kagome-chan? My baby has pretty brown eyes though, compared to your blues. Pity, that."

Kagome wanted to throw up when Orochimaru combed his slimy fingers through her copy's silky locks and touched her cheek with the back of his fingers.

"I didn't want the discarded part of your soul to go to waste. I think I made good use of it, ne Kikyou-chan?"

"Yes, father." A voice very similar to Kagome's answered.

_No_, Naruto thought, _the look-alike's voice sounded more mature and deeper_. Nothing like his sister's at all. Their similarities were only superficial, he could see clearly now. At first glance, anyone could be fooled, but once you looked at them closer, you can easily tell they're entirely different persons. Not similar at all.

"You're sick! You're a sick, sick man and who knows what you've been doing to Kagome's clone all this time!" Naruto didn't even want to think about it, but his overactive imagination could fill in the gaps.

"Tsk, tsk, Naruto-kun." Orochimaru ruefully shook his head. "Do you honestly think I'll abuse my most valued subordinate that way? My own Ka― excuse me, Kikyou-chan has been a great asset to me. I wouldn't harm my baby in any way."

"You said the witch was able to create her with a piece of Kagome's soul. Do you know how that person was able to obtain that piece of soul in the first place?" The Sandaime asked in morbid curiosity.

Orochimaru's forehead wrinkled thoughtfully, eyes twinkling in memory. "Ah . . . that witch . . . Urasue, if I remember her name correctly. She's dead now, killed her right after she served her purpose. She was too needy for my tastes. It was unfortunate that she had such big ambitions. I would've let her live if she remained as obedient as she was, but she just had to go and ruin it by wanting more. I couldn't have that from one of my subordinates, of course."

"Monster," Naruto spat, disgusted. Orochimaru didn't look bothered by the insult. If anything, he took it as a compliment.

"So do you know how she acquired a piece of my daughter's soul?" Arashi reminded, getting the sannin back on track.

Orochimaru shrugged. "If I knew I wouldn't tell you," and smirked evilly, enjoying every minute. "I came here to destroy your pathetic village, but I must admit, seeing your reaction to my Kikyou is almost just as good, too."

"You're still sore about that?" Arashi exclaimed disbelievingly. "After all these years, you're still stuck on the council picking me instead of you to succeed as the Yondaime? You _cloned_ my daughter just to extract revenge?!"

Orochimaru chuckled, "No, no, Arashi-kun, you've got it all wrong. My desire to destroy such a pathetic village isn't about revenge, I just feel like it. And Kikyou-chan was just an unexpected bonus. I didn't know such a thing was possible until I met the witch. That unexpected development just conveniently fell into my lap. I honestly didn't think it would bother you this much. And besides, you're not my primary target." He looked at the aged Sandaime. "So don't flatter yourself too much. This is between me and Sarutobi-_sensei_," he said mockingly in a singsong voice. "Don't you worry your pretty little head though, I brought a separate super special surprise _just for you_," he grinned at the Yondaime.

Before any of them could ask what it was, a sudden burst of energy came from Kikyou, knocking all the Leaf Nins back except for the Sandaime. They recovered quickly in midair, landing on their feet at the nearest solid object and rushing towards the snake sannin, but a barrier much like Kagome's blocked their progress. As they bounced off of it, four other Sound-nins appeared and took their position at four corners on the top of the roof, forming a four-corner barrier just a little inside of Kikyou's, trapping both the Sandaime and Orochimaru inside it.

The Sandaime's eyes hardened, shoulders squared to face his former pupil in one last battle. "Is this really what you want, Orochimaru?"

"More than you'll ever know, old man. I'm stronger than you now and you should've taken my advice on naming a fifth Hokage because I have a surprise waiting for your precious successor. Konoha will have two less Hokages when this is over."

"What are they talking about?" Naruto strained to hear the conversation as several bodies crashed into Kikyou's barrier. Reinforcements have finally arrived.

"The One Tail!" Arashi cursed, turning to the lead ANBU guard who appeared beside him. "Where did it go?" How could he have been so careless? Orochimaru cunningly used his soft spot for his children as a distraction, and it worked.

"Uchiha Sasuke and his team took off in pursuit of him, Yondaime-sama," came the reply from behind the dog mask. Behind him, several other ANBU Black Ops wearing darker robes knelt respectfully waiting for orders after several unsuccessful attempts at getting through the invisible wall separating them from another wall that had their Sandaime trapped in.

"Sasuke!" Naruto and Kagome gasped. They'd forgotten about their team mate for a moment due to Orochimaru's stunt. Now that they knew their father was safe, they wanted to go help their teammate.

"Kakashi-senpai and several other jounin are taking care of the intruders inside the coliseum. The emergency procedure for a siege is already under way and we are ready to begin the offensive as soon as the women and children are all safe and accounted for."

Arashi nodded and turned back to his mentor inside the shield. Sarutobi understood the action and he nodded, "Go, Arashi. I'll take care of Orochimaru."

"_Take care_ of me, old man?" The snake sannin found that hysterical. "I will 'take care' of you. Today will mark the day of your death and your pathetic village's destruction."

"Keep on dreaming, Orochimaru!" Arashi spat as he slammed a rasengan into Kikyou's shield. Kikyou didn't even flinch and the barrier didn't even waver as it absorbed the impact. Arashi growled in frustration as he tried again, and even Naruto got into it, unleashing twin attacks at the same time.

The effect was the same each time, amusing Orochimaru to no end. "As much as I would love to laugh at your pathetic attempts to reach me, Arashi-kun, Sarutobi-sensei and I have some unfinished business to attend to. Don't worry. I'll make sure to give you some attention after this if you're still alive, okay?" And with that, he started his attack at Konoha's Third Hokage. Sarutobi quickly deflected it and unleashed a barrage of kunai at his former student. Orochimaru's hands blurred in a series of fast hand signs that caused two objects to sprout from the ground to block his former sensei's attack.

Frustrated to no end, all the Leaf shinobi unleashed their strongest attacks on the shield with all their might, but not even their combined efforts could wear it down. The shield held fiercely as Kikyou watched in stoic silence, quietly mocking their pathetic attempts. The Konoha shinobi could only watch in horror as Orochimaru used his forbidden technique to resurrect their First and Second Hokages.

"Damn it, take this down right now!" Naruto kicked the barrier angrily.

Arashi noticed that his daughter wasn't attacking like the rest of them were; instead she had a palm on the invisible wall, face deeply scrunched in concentration. Curiosity got the better of him. "What are you doing, Kagome?"

She didn't respond. Instead, she breathed deeply and focused energy through her hand and into the opponent's defense. Every time she attempted to make an offensive kekkai inside Kikyou's wall, she failed for some unknown reason. It was almost like her powers were being negated, but that was only speculation on her part since she had never experienced such a thing before. She could tell that the other girl had far more battle experience than her, but that didn't necessarily mean that she was stronger, did it?

_Maybe my powers are still exhausted from my fight with Kanna. . ._

The only way she could think of right now was to break down the barrier. If she couldn't attack from the inside, then she'll do it the old fashioned way from the outside.

Once she deemed she had enough energy, she turned to Naruto and instructed, "Punch it now!"

Not waiting to be told twice, he did as she asked and punched with all his might. The air where his fist connected with the unseen force preventing them from surging forward _shimmered_; everyone could feel as it shook from the force of the attack. Earlier, with Kagome's fight with Kanna, her barriers had been different. They were visible to the naked eye. Kikyou's kekkai right now was an exact replica of Kagome's old technique - invisible – and perhaps twice as strong.

Kikyou's eyes narrowed slightly towards Kagome.

"Woah!" exclaimed Naruto, "It didn't do that before!" Excited at the new discovery, he punched again but frowned at the lack of reaction this time. The force of his attack was merely absorbed into it, just like it had been before. "Hey! What gives?"

"I think I have it figured out," was Kagome's reply. "You have to synchronize your attack with mine or else it wouldn't do any damage. . . Otherwise, it wouldn't be effective."

Frustrated as he was at watching the Third as the First and Second outnumbered him, Arashi knew the Sandaime could handle himself. This battle was tough but he was confident in his predecessor, and he knew he had a duty to attend to.

"Stay here and work on the barriers to help the Sandaime," Arashi instructed the ANBU squad and his children.

"What!" Kagome stepped away from her work to stare incredulously at her father.

"No!" Naruto protested, "We're coming with you! We gotta help Sasuke!"

Kagome nodded in agreement. What was he saying? Sasuke was their team mate. It was only natural for them to go after him. They promised him they would.

Their father shook his head, "No. Kagome, this is your specialty. If anyone could get past this barrier, it would be you." Said barrier crackled as if in response to Arashi's statement.

"But Sasuke―"

"I said _no_ and that's an order!"

The twins shrank back from their father's outburst, not used to having _that_ tone directed at them. This Arashi wasn't their father anymore, he was speaking as their Hokage. No amount of wheedling would change his decision.

Feeling a little bad for shouting at his children, he amended, "When you're done, you can come follow me."

"At least take Naruto," Kagome said. "I can handle _her_ by myself and even if I couldn't, I have Sandaime-sama and the ANBU here to help me."

Naruto was grateful for the vote of confidence. "Yeah dad, I'll be your backup," he added eagerly.

Arashi stared at his children for a few seconds, inwardly debating if it was worth wasting the time arguing with them to stay instead of going after the One Tail. Two pairs of baby blues stared back at him stubbornly as he recognized the willful set of their jaws. He sighed, not entirely excited on giving in. "All right, Naruto you come with me and Kagome," he firmly grabbed her shoulders and looked her straight in the eye making sure he meant business, "you can follow only when you're done here, do you understand?"

"Yes, papa!" She easily agreed.

"Do your best and stay safe."

Kagome beamed at her father, "You too."

He had one last advice for the ANBU as well, "Protect the Sarutobi-sama and Kagome."

All of them nodded, acknowledging the unneeded instructions; every single one of them was willing to risk their lives for their retired leader and current leader's daughter.

"Naruto, stay close behind me and try to keep up." He hesitated for a moment before he reached out one last time to pat Kagome's head affectionately. "You be careful and take care of everyone else, okay?" he reiterated.

"Hurry up and finish, sis, so you can follow us!"

"Take care, you two!" Kagome replied, watching two blond blurs disappear in the direction of where Sasuke had taken off after his opponent earlier, before turning her full attention on her look-alike inside the shield.

The ANBU watched quietly as the young genin placed a hand on the barrier while keeping eye contact with the girl inside. It wasn't their place to question why the two looked so similar, although they heard snippets of conversation earlier. Did the Yondaime's daughter really have what it takes to break down the invisible wall?

Blue met brown as the two faced off.

ღ

Sasuke was not having a good day.

First, his match during the Chuunin exam finals was skipped due to an invasion of the village, and now he was running out of chakra. When he faced his opponent earlier, he was confident with his newly acquired techniques from Kakashi, but now he wasn't so sure.

He could recall the amusement that flooded through his veins at the shock that flowed out of the redhead in waves as he drew blood when the chidori cut straight through Gaara's sand shield, like it was butter. He felt like he had the upper hand then, even if the redhead showed signs of weirdness that made the hairs at the back of his neck stand on end. Training with Kakashi improved his techniques exponentially, he felt on top of the world and unbeatable.

Pursuit of his opponent from the arena earlier came natural to him. He showed no ounce of hesitation when he was ordered to do it by Genma earlier, but with his position right now, his back against a tree as he regained his breath, chakra exhausted, he wondered how on earth he could have grossly miscalculated the situation.

The guy was a monster.

There was no other way of putting it. His opponent could sprout unnatural limbs out of his sand-like body and his face was severely distorted by the sand that merged with it. Hell, his entire right half was covered with it! The sand was really hindering his moves. Even after three hits with the chidori, Gaara was still standing; blood flowing from a minor cut on his forehead where the lightning attack nicked him earlier.

Sasuke didn't even want to think about what would happen if either Shino or Shikamaru failed to defeat the other two Sand siblings. They left Shikamaru with the girl and then he left Shino with the puppet master when they caught up to them earlier. Their movements were puzzling, Shikamaru wondered out loud why they didn't fight at the arena, but his question was left unanswered.

If one, or worse, both of the enemy shinobi were to join the current fight, he was a goner. He'd already exceeded the number of chidoris he could use in one day, yet he couldn't even knock the guy out. And at this rate, he could already feel his curse seal taking over his body.

ღ

_Wham!_

"Again!" Kagome commanded, and the shinobi gathered punched against the barrier as one. Kikyou visibly staggered at the impact this time as Kagome ordered another attack. Kagome's confidence grew as the strain of keeping the shield up manifested on her opponent's face. Kikyou was a tough nut to crack, but Kagome had two ANBU squads and several jounin on her side.

Kagome was getting increasingly worried as the double shielded area where the Sandaime was fighting in had turned pitch black several minutes ago. None of them could see what was happening inside, but a nagging feeling settled in her stomach.

"One more time!" she shouted. And the ANBU unleashed their different attacks once more. "Again!"

_Bam!_

Kikyou gritted her teeth and channeled more of her spiritual ki into her defense. Kagome countered with more offensive energy and attacks. Kikyou could feel her barrier crack, and knew that her blue-eyed counterpart was aware of it too.

Kagome smirked as she gave it one more push. "This is it you guys, give it all you've got and prepare for an attack!" All the ANBU, now joined by Gai, Kakashi and the other jounin who succeeded in cleaning up the coliseum of intruders drew back their fists and waited. Kakashi was gladly impressed at the leadership qualities his genin showed as she commanded shinobi who were higher ranked than her.

"Now!"

_Boom!_

The collective force of the combined attacks literally blew Kikyou away as the air exploded. Unable to hold her shield any longer, the unstable clash of energies collided against each other and blew up. Kagome had enough wits to cross her arms in front of her and cast a barrier of her own to protect herself and her comrades from the shockwave, watching as Kikyou barely avoided the blast. Bits of debris flew every which way as they ducked for cover. One ANBU's mask cracked from the power, and Kakashi could barely suppress his shudder as he braced himself. When the dust settled, he couldn't believe the damage brought by the explosion.

"Yes! We did it!" Kagome cheered, wobbling back on her feet. Kikyou had yet to pick herself up from the other side of the wide roof, where she had skidded off to. "Are you okay, Kakashi-sensei? Gai-sensei? ANBU-san?"

The ANBU behind the cracked cat mask stood up unsteadily. What was that!? The explosion of ki touched something inside of him, something deep and unidentifiable. It made him feel exposed and very vulnerable.

"That was fantastic, Kagome-chan!" Maito Gai replied, giving her a super shiny thumbs-up sign. "I envy my rival for having such a youthful student like you!"

She grinned at his enthusiasm. "It's not over yet," she pointed at Kikyou, who was also standing up. The battle was just about to begin.

The ANBU wearing a white cloak stepped in front of Kagome protectively. "We'll take care of the rest, Kagome-sama." The rest of his subordinates nodded in agreement and fanned out beside him.

Kagome shook her head. "No, I have to fight her. You should go see to Sandaime-sama."

"No, Kagome-sama." The ANBU shot back. "You have done your part, now we have to do ours. Please go quietly beside Kakashi-senpai and―"

Kikyou cut him off with a humorless laugh, dusting her clothes off. "You are one hundred years too early to fight me, ANBU-san," she mocked. "But if you're that willing to die, then come at me. I'll help you meet your maker."

"Tough words for someone who just got blasted by her own technique, Kikyou," Kagome said sardonically.

Kikyou narrowed scornful eyes at her mirror image. "Consider yourself lucky for that. Enjoy it while you can. I'll―" Her head suddenly snapped towards the four-cornered barrier still in place. Kakashi, Gai and the rest of the ANBU drew their weapons when Kikyou moved, rushing to the side of the wall within the blink of an eye. The two look-alikes released twin gasps at the same time, "What's going on?!?" Eyes riveted on something inside the walls.

"Fa― father!" Kikyou's eyes uncharacteristically widened in horror, hand over mouth, all the enemy shinobi behind her forgotten.

Curious, Gai strained to see through the dissipating darkness inside the battle area. Evidences of a high-level battle littered the interior, blocking his view. They had a clear visual of the events that happened between the Hokages and Orochimaru earlier, even though they had no audio from where their distance. The dual barriers both fascinated and frustrated him, the caster of the outer one surprised him when they came face to face. The lack of youthful cheer from her face, so similar to that of his rival's student, bothered him.

Inside the last barrier standing, everything was damp from water attacks. There was a giant mass of soil that he could see from where he was, and lots of wood and plants were crammed in the tight space.

"There!" Kakashi pointed to a small corner free of trees and plants. Sarutobi had Orochimaru in a tight hold, gnarled hands gripped the sannin's shoulders while Orochimaru's sword slowly pierced his chest from behind. The only thing preventing Orochimaru's Kusanagi from fully impaling the Sandaime was his summon, Enma. The injured monkey king held Kusanagi back as Sarutobi trapped Orochimaru in his jutsu.

Kagome gasped when she spotted the imposing figure floating above and behind the Sandaime, "Ryuk!" realizing he was the source of Kikyou's distress.

With their opponent clearly distracted, an overeager ANBU took advantage of the situation and rushed head on towards the barrier, confident that his strongest attack could dent it. The rest jumped back as their comrade burst into flames upon impact. His body was charred beyond recognition before it hit the ground.

"Stay back!" The head ANBU ordered as they watched helplessly from the outside. They didn't need any more casualties. "Have confidence in the Sandaime, he'll be all right."

Everyone stood at the sidelines, transfixed at the scene. Even the forgotten Kikyou, who looked extremely worried for her 'father'. Kagome dared to get as close to the barrier as she could, but not close enough to touch it. She didn't want to end up as a human charcoal, but curiosity got the better of her. "What's going on, Ryuk? Why are you here?"

Kakashi shot her a sideways glance, wondering who she was talking to. "Who's Ryuk?"

"Answer me!" Kagome repeated, not hearing her sensei's question over her own thundering heart. "Why are you here?!" Fear crept into her voice as she dreaded the response.

"Answer the question," Kikyou repeated slowly, unhooking the bow from her shoulder and notching an arrow on it, aiming it at his head. They both knew there could only be one reason why a shinigami would be present, but neither wanted to accept it.

For a moment, the huge shinigami seemed to mull over his options, and Sarutobi took that time to finish sealing the deal. Ryuk's answer was heard only by Kagome, Kikyou, and Sarutobi. Orochimaru could see a faint outline of the stuff his nightmares were made of because he was the recipient of the jutsu, and Sarutobi could only see him now because of the deal they made.

Ryuk plunged his ghostly hand through Sarutobi's stomach as he latched on to Orochimaru's soul. "Your Sandaime has summoned me, Kagome-chan," he said in that guttural low voice of his, pulling at his victim's soul.

Kikyou released her arrow when Orochimaru screamed from the pain. Kagome pointed, but found that she couldn't form a barrier inside the shield that contained the Sandaime either, so everyone watched as it sailed safely through the barrier that fried an ANBU to a crisp. Miraculously, it missed the trio in a deadlock by over three feet in the air. Kakashi and the rest of the Konoha shinobi thought Kikyou had really bad aim, but Kagome knew better. She watched as it bounced off of Ryuk harmlessly, and let out a sigh of relief. That was a lucky shot. She wasn't going to allow Kikyou to do it again.

"H― how?" Kikyou was confused. Her arrow was packed with spiritual energy. It should've obliterated the shinigami who wished her father harm upon contact. Why wasn't it effective?

The same question was on the shinobi of Konoha's minds. _How?_ How did an arrow that missed the targets bounce off as if it hit something solid? Something invisible. No matter how hard any of them squinted, they couldn't see anything over their Sandaime and Orochimaru except for trees. Kikyou's arrow didn't hit any of the branches, so . . . how? Kakashi decided he would find out and threw a kunai, aiming at the snake sannin. Like the ANBU before him, the kunai burned to a crisp before it hit the ground.

What the heck was going on? Did Kagome form a shield around the Sandaime and somehow, they couldn't see it unlike her earlier attempts? Yeah, that must be it.

Ryuk's ghastly face contorted into his own version of a smile. Orochimaru screamed some more as he pulled harder, and Sarutobi coughed up blood. "That was a valiant effort, Kikyou-chan, but I'm afraid I'm immune to any of your tricks now."

"What do you mean you're immune?" Kagome asked.

Orochimaru screamed again, prompting Kikyou to shoot an arrow at Sarutobi this time. Kagome growled in frustration as her own spiritually charged kunai intercepted it, keeping the Sandaime safe. She was a fast learner. Kikyou snarled in response, cursing at Kagome and the shinigami.

Ryuk ignored her. Now wasn't really the time to be having this conversation with his friend, but he didn't want to be rude either. "A long time ago," he pulled at Orochimaru's soul again, "when you were born, your father did this same ritual with me. Even as a baby, your instincts and natural skill were greater than my own power. I was in the process of devouring his soul when you interfered. In exchange for his soul, you offered yours, but it was too big for me to handle for one jutsu, so I only took a chunk. I accepted that chunk as payment and sealed the deal. Souls that I collect through this forbidden sealing jutsu are for my personal consumption, unlike the souls that you see me guide to the afterlife, but in this case, I eventually had to release it."

"How come?" Kagome inquired. She couldn't recall any of the events he was listing, so she wanted to know more.

The shinigami pulled again, and the two priestesses watched as more of Orochimaru's spiritual arm separated from his body. The process was slow and arduous, hindered by Sarutobi's critical injuries, depleted chakra and two other similar techniques performed earlier with his clones, First Hokage and Second Hokage. The sannin's iron will also posed as a drawback, preventing Ryuk from easily snatching his soul.

He sighed, hoping the snake like human would just give up already. His demise was inevitable. Why prolong it? "This ritual is very rarely performed. Unlike escorting a soul into the afterworld, when I devour a soul, it stays in my belly for a long time, trapped in a living hell. In time, it fades away until it is no more, but the soul chunk I extracted from you was trying to purify me from the inside. I could not allow that, so I released it," he said almost apologetically. "I didn't know what happened to it next, but judging from the looks of _her_," he nodded towards Kikyou, "I think it's safe to say someone got a hold of it before you did. I am sorry, miko-chan. I was under the impression that it was going to find its way back to you after I freed it."

"Oh, no, it's not your fault!" Kagome assured him, hands waving in the air for emphasis, making Kakashi and the others think she'd lost her mind with the way she was talking to thin air. "It all makes sense now," she nodded. "Orochimaru told us earlier that he met a witch who created her after he got some 'specimens' from me."

Kikyou ignored the thumb jabbed in her direction, preparing another arrow. "I don't care about the circumstances that have made you immune to my power and frankly, I don't care about what you do. I do care, however, about your business with my father. If you don't release him right now, I'll show you what I can _really_ do, immune or not."

"You'd have to go through me first before you get to him, Kikyou." Kagome stepped in between the girl and her friend. She may be worried for the Sandaime's life, but she wasn't going to stand aside and allow her enemy to harm Ryuk either.

Orochimaru screamed once again, distracting them. Sarutobi couldn't take it anymore. The jutsu already took longer than necessary, he was at his limit. Only Orochimaru's hands were separated from his body so far, but that was as far as he could go. He could no longer sustain the position, and at his delirious state, he could tell that the Kagome clone could very well jeopardize his plans if he kept this up.

"Do it now!" He shouted, gambling the rest of his life away.

"No!" Kikyou and Kagome shouted.

Ryuk complied and leaned forward with a dagger to cut off what spiritual body part was disconnected from the physical body. Orochimaru's agonizing scream blended with Kikyou's horrified one as his arms withered and died right in front of everyone.

"What have you done, you senile old man!?!" The snake sannin screamed hysterically. In the midst of shouting obscenities at his former teacher and cursing him to oblivion, Ryuk sealed away his gathered souls, and Sarutobi fell to the ground.

"Orochimaru-sama!" The four ninjas sustaining the four-cornered shield shouted as their leader fell to his knees, chaos erupting all over the place.

Kagome grappled with Kikyou who rushed to attack head-on towards the barrier, and Kikyou roughly pushed back. The action prompted the Leaf shinobi to spring into action, finally engaging Kikyou in hand to hand combat. Kikyou blocked a kick from an ANBU and parried shuriken aimed at her as she fell back in a defensive position. Her taijutsu skills were second only to Orochimaru's and she wasn't outnumbered for long as she quickly solved that by pulling out several ofuda from her robes and tossing them out.

"Paper clones?" Gai asked to nobody in particular as the piece of paper tossed at him turned into little girls.

"Shikigami!" Kagome hissed, jumping out of the way in time to avoid an attack from another one to her left.

"Don't let your guard down," Kakashi warned the others as he barely avoided a kunai in the head. "They're strong despite their appearances."

"And fast, too." Gai said as one shikigami grazed his arm with her kunai. He retaliated by stabbing it, but unlike the kage bunshin and other clone jutsu he was used to, the shikigami didn't disappear with a poof. "Gah!" startled and confused, he jumped back to get away from the punches and kicks thrown at him. Wounds inflicted on them didn't even bleed.

The other Leaf shinobi faced the same surprises but quickly adapted.

All but two shikigami battled with the Konoha ninja. Two unique ones stayed beside Kikyou. Kochou, the older looking and taller of the two, stood on Kikyou's right awaiting orders. Like Kikyou, she had a ponytail at the back of her head and wore a yellow kimono. Asuka, the shorter and younger looking one, waited on Kikyou's left. She had a blue kimono on and had two ponytails at each side of her head.

"Orochimaru-sama is injured, what shall we do, Kikyou-sama?" Tayuya of the Sound Four and keeper of the Northern Gate shouted above the full out battle between the Konoha shinobi and the army of shikigami.

"Take down your barrier and retreat!" Kikyou commanded, feeling what could only be described as panic for the first time in her life. "We have to take father out of here and get him to Kabuto!" Her father was her everything, all that her world revolved around. If anything ever happened to him, she wouldn't know what to do. _Kabuto._ Kabuto would know what to do.

"Well what are you waiting for?!" Kidomaru, keeper of the Eastern Gate barked at his comrades and dropped his side. "You heard her!" Ukon of the West Gate and Jirobo of the South quickly obeyed, swaying slightly from the strain. In times of emergency, it was okay to obey the leader's daughter, wasn't it?

Kikyou wasted no time and rushed to Orochimaru's side. "Father, are you alright?" Gentle hands were already healing whatever injury she could find.

"My hands!" Orochimaru screamed, "My hands! The old geezer killed my hands!!!" Try as she might, Kikyou couldn't heal the withered appendages as fast as she could do his other injuries.

"Kikyou-sama, I suggest a tactical retreat so that you may treat Orochimaru-sama's hands," Kidomaru suggested, fighting back the urge to scoot as far away from the two shikigami beside Kikyou as much as possible. Little kids creeped him out and these two even more so especially with the amount of power they had. Kochou and Asuka could seriously kick his ass in a fight. Pitiful, but true.

Brows furrowed at her inability to ease her father's pain, Kikyou nodded and allowed Jirobo, the strongest of their group, to support Orochimaru. The Leaf shinobi finally overpowered her other shikigami, but by the time they turned to pursue the escaping Sound party, Kochou and Asuka didn't even need to do combat. Like flies to a spider's web, they literally fell for Kidomaru's special web made out of liquid and chakra. With one last look at Kagome, the doppelganger promised retribution upon her return. Just as soon as her father was well again, for sure.

Kagome was too busy to notice anything else and just knelt beside the Sandaime's body looking sick. She wanted to cry but dared not to, and the effort made her shake like a leaf. Kakashi left her to wallow in her sorrow for a few heartbeats. "You did everything you could, Kagome-chan," he said at last. Medics arrived a moment later, so he took his student aside to let them do their work.

"It's over," she said quietly, defeated. "I failed."

Gai opened his mouth but closed it again when his rival threw him a sharp look. Never had he seen Kakashi look so serious before. "No you didn't," the white haired jounin countered, but Kagome wasn't listening.

"If only I knew earlier. . . if only I was stronger. . . I have a bigger soul than she has, don't I? Didn't you tell us that, Ryuk?" Tears blurred her vision but she only had eyes for the shinigami still lingering in the area.

"Ryuk?" again Gai and Kakashi questioned. Both noticed the two girls addressing this Ryuk person before and although some might doubt the validity of this, Gai could be perceptive too.

"If that's true, then. . . why? Why couldn't I overpower her barrier by myself? Why couldn't I break through earlier? If only I did. . . then Sandaime-sama wouldn't have had to resort to such tactics. He―" a hiccup escaped despite her best efforts, "― he would still be with us. Tell me why, please. I don't understand."

The two eavesdropping jounin could hear the medics declare the Sandaime dead in the background and already, the ANBU began moving on their own to clear their village of the remaining scum.

For a long moment, Ryuk considered keeping quiet and seeing if she would figure out the answer for herself. But the tears that spilled from his only human friend's ― or any, for that matter ― eyes twisted at his insides like apple depravation symptoms. "She has more training," he finally said. "And more control. Also. . ." he looked away from her tear stained cheeks, "I don't know the cause of it, but your powers are askew."

Kagome tried to blink away the tears "What do you mean?" and failed.

"It feels like they've been tampered with," he clarified. "I am not an expert in these things so I can't tell you more, but that is how I feel. Every time I see you, your powers aren't. . . how do I explain this. . . Okay, let me put it this way ― instead of progressing, I noticed that your powers have remained stagnant for quite some time now. While others train and increase their power levels as they grow, yours has reached a plateau."

"What? I don't understand," Kagome was understandably confused. "I've been training just as much as anyone on my team has. How can that be?"

He disliked being the bearer of bad news, but she did ask for it. Ryuk shrugged, "I don't know why. I can't explain it myself, I'm just telling you what I've witnessed."

"What's going on?" Kagome asked softly to no one in particular, boggled at the revelation. "Are you saying that I've been training all these years for nothing?"

"Wha!? No, of course not!" Ryuk was quick to reassure, but it fell on deaf ears.

"What are you talking about, Kagome-chan?" Kakashi was way beyond baffled now, and way beyond concerned for his student's habit of talking to thin air. He was too old to keep up with her mood swings.

ღ

On top of the newly summoned toad, Jiraiya turned to Ibiki. "Where's the Sandaime?"

"He's in the battle arena, fighting Orochimaru."

His eyes narrowed in understanding, "I see." _Don't die on us, old man._ "And what about the Yondaime?"

"He's in pursuit of the One Tail from Suna."

"Great," he bit out sarcastically, rolling his shoulders to release the tension in his back. _No wonder the ANBU were left alone struggling with these things_. He smirked at the giant snake staring him down. "Now you little chicks just sit back and let the pros handle this."

ღ

"Kakashi-san," an ANBU materialized beside Kakashi, "have you seen Kagome?" Today his squad had been on high alert and was assigned to patrol the borders. He left a kage bunshin to watch the matches earlier, but it poofed out after getting attacked during the invasion.

Recognizing the voice behind the mask, Kakashi replied, "She left quite some time ago to follow Naruto and Arashi-sama who went after Sasuke," watching the other silently. Despite the face gear, Kakashi recognized the ANBU and could read him like an open book. "If you're thinking of going after her, don't." The warning was unnecessary but he liked pulling on the other's strings.

Itachi tensed. "I wasn't. My squad still has to finish cleaning up the riff-raff in the streets." That was a true fact. It was a coincidence that their route ended up taking them to the coliseum.

"Mhm," Kakashi doubtfully agreed. A chilly breeze blew through the area, punctuating their moment of silence.

"I'm sure they'll be fine as long as Arashi-sama is with them," Itachi said.

If it was a statement or something to convince himself with, Kakashi wasn't sure. "I'm sure they will."

"The coliseum is clear, sir." Itachi's subordinate reported, cutting in between their awkward conversation.

"Kakashi-san," Itachi nodded respectfully then turned to his squad. "Move out. We still have some ground to cover."

ღ

Her legs were numb from running but she ignored it. Her right hand was stiff from repeating the position which she needed to make her kekkai with but she endured it. Her clothes were wet from the storm-like downpour caused by Gamabunta and Shukaku's attacks colliding against each other but that wasn't important. A thin layer of dirt from her earlier battles and the dust clouds the two giants produced in their struggles was slowly turning into an icky mud-like substance on her skin but that didn't matter right now.

What mattered this moment was survival.

When she arrived at the scene after finally catching up to her teammates and father earlier, she was greeted with a horrible sight. Naruto was encased in a sphere of sand, Sasuke was sprawled on a tree branch looking like he was beaten to an inch of his life, and her father was getting pummeled by a large purple ogre with red eyes and two horns on its head.

She didn't stop to think as she screamed and launched herself at him. The ogre turned and swatted her away like a fly. The backhand sent her sprawling to the forest floor, hitting the ground with enough force to create a crater. Her actions successfully shifted his attention away from her father onto herself. He jumped off of the Yondaime. Sharp claws destroyed her barrier upon impact, swiping at her. She twisted away, barely avoided getting cut in half.

Duck, dodge, run, jump. . . she couldn't even form a solid barrier anymore. Her opponent was too fast and too strong; all she could do was try to outrun his attacks. She felt like she was being toyed with, like a mouse getting its last reprieve before the cat swallowed it whole. Several more failed attempts at making barriers were shredded, strands of hair going along with it when she didn't evade fast enough.

Exploding tags had no effect on him; kunai and shuriken that luckily hit their marks were treated like nothing but harmless needles. She didn't dare to engage him in close range combat, knowing first hand how she was in a deep disadvantage with him in that area. One kick was all it took for her to learn that his skin was thick, his body was as hard as the toughest granite. Her leg was still throbbing from the pain when he blocked her kick with his arm earlier.

_This is the end_, Kagome thought as another backhand sent her flying to a nearby tree. Head bowed and will nearly broken, fighting the urge to cry, she was unprepared when sand exploded everywhere.

Naruto had just summoned Gamabunta.

Using the temporary distraction, Kagome quickly used smoke bombs and pushed her speed as she grabbed her dad and Sasuke. A moment later, trees from where Gaara stood also exploded as he fully released Shukaku.

After arguing about the merits of fighting together, Naruto and Gamabunta settled on a truce. And after telling the frog boss to be careful to not squish the parts where his friend and family were, a fight strong enough to change the landscape then ensued.

Huddling together to appear smaller, Kagome pumped as much healing ki as she could at her father. Sasuke looked like an abused ragdoll but his life force didn't fluctuate and rapidly diminish like her dad's did. Arashi suffered from internal injuries while Sasuke's biggest problems were exhaustion and an out of control curse seal. Reserves she didn't have kicked in as she healed him as fast as she could. After the Fourth's condition finally stabilized, Kagome turned her attentions to the Uchiha's injuries.

The smoke screen had been effective, numbing the purple ogre's hypersensitive sense of smell for the meantime. The noise created by the two giants fighting also interfered with his advanced sense of hearing, so Goshinki stayed put and decided to wait for his prey to come to him. Sooner or later they were bound to reveal their whereabouts and when that time came, he was going to crush them like the annoying flies they were. He liked toying with weaklings.

Sasuke coughed when the overwhelming pain from his curse seal receded to a tolerable level. "Naruto and your dad arrived and joined my fight with Gaara," he explained for her benefit as he received Kagome's healing touch. "Arashi-sama had the upper hand while Naruto got me out of the way, but then a purple blur came out from nowhere and slammed against Arashi-sama. He's really fast, on par with your dad's speed when he's using his hiraishin jutsu. He's really strong, too."

Arashi's Flying Thunder God Technique was what made him the Yellow Flash of Konoha. His speed was unmatched when he used it, so it came as a big surprise when the huge purple ogre easily kept up with him. He frowned, also remembering the ease in which the ogre cut down trees like they were mere paper. Speed, agility, strength . . .

"And he could read minds," he added.

Kagome's eyes widened. "No wonder I couldn't get in a decent hit!"

"We noticed it too late. By then Arashi-sama has already suffered too much damage and Naruto was barely holding up against Gaara." No matter how fast and strong the Yondaime was he was no match for an opponent who could read his thoughts and anticipate his moves ahead of time. They had no mental defense against an opponent.

Kuso, he didn't want things to end this way. He didn't want Kagome to see him defeated, with her father and brother badly beaten to save his ass. He hated feeling helpless. His pride was in shreds.

"And I can't make a barrier strong enough to protect us," Kagome nibbled on her bottom lip in worry. What was she supposed to do now? Maybe if they stayed quiet enough, or if they hid hard enough. . .

No.

What was she thinking?

Running to hide wasn't going to cut it. None of them could possibly survive unscathed if they had to confront the ogre again, but doing nothing wasn't going to save them either. She could feel a headache coming as her stress levels rose.

_Itachi. . ._

If he were here, maybe. . . no, she had to be strong. Itachi was busy fighting to keep the village safe somewhere, she knew, and wishing he was here to bail them out wasn't the right way to handle this.

Just one more time. If her barriers wouldn't work and her skills weren't enough, she'll just have to borrow someone else's. She would give it her all, gamble her last bit of strength and hope for it to work.

Sasuke felt a little nervous from the stubborn spark in her eyes.

Kagome was too tired to perform the moves required for her jutsu, so she concentrated hard and prayed to whatever kami was listening for her efforts to work. Brows furrowed and eyes closed in intense concentration while Sasuke watched, fascinated at the unfamiliar runes that appeared around his teammate.

They glowed around the girl, illuminating her body in white light so bright yet so beautiful at the same time. There were three sets, grouped in specific circles, each layered inside the other. They circled each other for a few seconds until another light source above Kagome caught his attention.

If his curse seal wasn't giving him a hard time because of his depleted chakra, he would've observed the scene with activated sharingan.

He felt helpless and confused that he couldn't do anything to help.

"Kagome―"

A portal opened on the bright light above her and out came a set of black boots attached to two feet . . . white pants . . . a yellow obi sash tipped with blue . . . long, flowing silver hair . . . matching body armor on top of white kimono decorated with red patches . . . golden eyes . . . tattoos on the face . . . a half moon on the middle of the forehead framed with bangs . . . and was that a pelt or his tail on his right shoulder . . . ?

"― what's going on?" An ominous feeling enveloped him from her summoning jutsu. This wasn't the first time he witnessed this, but this round felt different. A frightening chill ran from the top of his head, creeped down his spine, dropped all the way to his toes and then went up again to settle on his gut. All of his senses were screaming danger.

His question prompted Kagome to finally open her eyes, her jutsu finished, but she was clearly beyond her limit. Her body started to slump forward but before he could reach her side to prevent her landing facedown on the dirt, the ― person? ― beat him to it.

Sasuke tensed, ready for a fight although he doubted he could do it at this point, but the silver-haired male paid him no attention. The color wasn't anything out of the ordinary to him, having grown up around Kakashi, but his sensei's spiky locks didn't look as_ aristocratic_ as this stranger's did. The length was longer than that of Kagome's, and wasn't he supposed to be a man? It was the first time he'd seen a male with such girly hair!

"Miko," the stranger finally spoke, his voice authoritative with a hint of concern.

"_I warned you that not doing the summoning routine will give you random summons." _

Mushin's words echoed in Sasuke's mind.

"Let her go," the Uchiha demanded even though he didn't have the strength to lift a kunai.

"_If you do not follow all the steps, it turns into roulette and you never know what you're summoning. That is very dangerous!"_

Didn't she remember what Mushin told her? This time the old monk's dire warnings and pessimism regarding the subject seemed clearer now. "Put her down slowly and step away from her."

Golden eyes assessed him critically and he met them, unflinching. "I was summoned by the only person capable of doing so and I mean her no harm. You, however . . ."

If he was a lesser person, he would've physically shivered from the underlying threat behind that gaze. But he was an Uchiha. Uchihas do not flinch nor do they back away from a pissing contest. He showed no outward signs of fear although his insides were shaking.

"She exhausted her chakra and passed out after whatever ritual she did," Sasuke wondered why he bothered explaining to this unknown person. Was that hate reflected in his inhuman golden eyes?

"Ungh," the girl in question groaned, slowly regaining conciousness.

The stranger showed great care as he set her back down on the ground.

"Sasuke?"

"Miko."

Her eyes widened when she realized it wasn't Sasuke who was supporting her.

"It has been a long time, miko."

She wanted to crawl away from the intimidating man but didn't have enough strength left to make her body obey. "W―who are you?"

It was barely perceptible, but the confusion was there on his immaculate face when his eyebrow raised a tiny fraction of an inch. "Why don't you remember, Kagome?"

"Remember what?" Kagome and Sasuke were perplexed.

"And how do you know her name?" Sasuke added.

Sesshoumaru scrutinized him from head to toe, ignoring his question. Dislike seeped from every pore on his body. "You are an Uchiha." He sniffed condescendingly, "It figures."

Sasuke's fists tightened. _Did he just insult my clan?_ Was this guy aiming for a fight?

Kagome finally figured things out, "A―are you my summon?" Eyes wide and disbelieving stared at the silver-haired stranger. She surprised herself every time she summoned something and found herself asking the same question she did Jinenji. This guy must hold the record for being the prettiest summon ever.

"Yes," Sesshoumaru replied, "you are the only one capable of calling me from the other realm and I do not understand why you do not remember while I do." His hair elegantly floated in an unseen wind, much to the annoyance of Sasuke who thought he was just showing off. "But it matters not for now because all things will be explained in the end," he continued cryptically. "Was there anything specific you conjured me for?"

He hadn't been in the human realm for several years, exactly how long he didn't bother to keep count. He could count the instances with his fingers, rare as they were; the latest ones during the capture of the cat, his idiot of a brother and lastly, the kit. Who knew how long has passed since then. Time was irrelevant to him, more so in the demon world.

Demons with enough knowledge and power were able to cross dimensions by themselves, and highly spiritual humans were capable of learning the summoning ritual, but only Kagome was and will ever be, in his opinion, be able to call upon him. The first reason because none of the pathetic humans would ever be on par with her power and the second reason because those who are conjured are required to subjugate themselves to the will of the summoner.

Any other human who attempted to force such disgrace upon him would die by his hands the second he appeared, true summoner or not. He bowed to no one.

Sasuke was at his limit. "Oh no, not at all," replied, waving his uninjured hand airily at the demolished forest around them. "She just wanted to say hi, have a nice cup of tea and please don't mind the _two giant beasts destroying the landscape just a few yards from you!_" He raised his voice irritably.

Danger crackled in the air for a split second and the hairs on the back of Kagome's neck stood up at the killing intent she could feel from her summon. Faster than any of them could blink, he had Sasuke pinned on a tree, slowly squeezing the life out of him with red-striped clawed hands.

"This Sesshoumaru will teach you the meaning of respect, boy." He wasn't going to waste his poison on this child, a mere suffocation would do. The longer the pain inflicted on him, the better.

"Stop it!" Kagome shouted as she watched Sasuke struggle in futility, his face slowly turning blue from the lack of air. "Don't hurt him, he's my friend!" She tried to stand up but her jelly legs failed her, so she did the only thing she could think of ― a quick series of the fastest hand seals she had ever performed to date and, "Osuwari!!!"

Sasuke gasped for precious oxygen as Sesshoumaru was forced to drop him in favor of kissing the ground with enough force to cause a tectonic shift. The Uchiha had enough wits to dash to Kagome's side when he recovered, and crouched to prepare for another attack.

"Oh my god I'm so sorry," Kagome hurriedly apologized, voice trembling in fear at what she was forced to do, praying she could do it again to save their lives. "B―but you gave me no choice! You were hurting my friend and I had t―to do something!" Oh god, he looked so mad. Mad enough to bite someone, and she could've sworn he had canines. _Oh god, oh god, oh god. . ._

The ground shook under the intense battle between the two jinchuuriki, and somewhere out there, a giant mind-reading ogre was still hunting them, but the two genins only had eyes for the figure getting up from the forest floor. And they thought Orochimaru's killing intent had been overwhelming? The sannin's gaze that froze them in their tracks back at the forbidden forest was child's play compared to this one.

Sasuke had to remind himself to breathe. Kagome swallowed nervously and tried not to stare at the spot of dirt on Sesshoumaru's nose when he narrowed intimidating golden eyes at her, the hairs on the back of her neck standing on end. Her eyes started to ache from the lack of moisture, but she refused to blink, in case he decided to move in that split second. _Oh god, oh god, oh god. . ._

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed at her trembling form, beyond annoyed that she dared to use _that spell_ on him. How dare she!!! "I advice you not to do that again, miko."

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_**Happy birthday, DeathNoteMaker! **__**♥**_

_**Phoenix Down**__ – an item used in Square Enix games to revive a fallen comrade_

Brownie points for anyone who realized the significance of the chapter title, kupo.

Let me just say again that Ryuk is not the Ryuk from Death Note. He's really that shinigami that Sarutobi summons, the name is the only thing borrowed from DN. Ru-chan, the marshmallow blob who electrocuted and bit Kakashi before, is also just that ― a marshmallow blob. He's not from Inuyasha or Naruto, I just needed a really cute and fluffy character to catch Kakashi off guard, so I made him up. He's like a deformed baby mooglemallow. . .

I think I reached 100,000 words with the addition of this chapter yo! Woot! That makes me a happy moogle, kupo! Yay! I uploaded this earlier than I expected to, but I'll apologize now for any delay on the next one. I probably won't have internet access for a week after this. And yes, as many of you have already guessed, Sesshoumaru is my favorite summon. :P I wonder why it seems like Sesshoumaru hates Sasuke? Did anybody else notice? I don't think they've met before. . . Hmmm.

Thanks for reading!


	12. Father Knows Best

**Chapter Twelve: Father Knows Best**  
o1.o4.o8  
_11,025 words  
**Warning:**_ slight spoiler for the Naruto manga 367  
Holy cow an update! Can you believe it? I'm on the verge of giving up on this story. XD I can't believe I finished a chapter. ;;  
Thanks to **Sadist Sai**, who never fails to give me a kick to the butt when I feel like stopping, and **Beautiful Phantom** who drew a Family fanart! Link is on my profile, please check it out! ♥

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"I'm sorry―" Kagome started to apologize once again, but got distracted when her summon suddenly disappeared from view.

In one swift move Sesshoumaru gripped Kagome's hand and shook her so hard that the charms on her bracelet knocked together. "What is the meaning of this!?" he thundered, scaring both genins.

"I― I summoned you so you can help us," Kagome replied as much as her scrambled brains could muster, attempting to escape from his grip. She winced as his grip tightened, claws digging into her wrist. If he squeezed any harder he'd be drawing blood.

"Who gave this to you?" he demanded, shaking her again.

"Gave what!" she snapped back, almost biting her tongue in the process.

"This!" he glared hatefully at the bracelet as if it were poison.

"My bestfriend did, for my birthday, years ago." Why was he so interested in it?

"Remove it at once," he commanded. A striped hand hovered in just a hair's breath over the said thing, but he retracted the clawed appendage and made a fist before he could touch it, opting to glare angrily at it instead.

"You know, we still have a purple ogre hunting us down and that huge raccoon destroying the landscape . . ." Sasuke tried to remind Kagome's summon of their priorities.

Sesshoumaru ignored him as he continued to glare at Kagome's bracelet, "Take it off."

"What does it matter if she's wearing it or not?!" Sasuke was tired of feeling like he didn't exist. Kagome just wanted her hand back.

The genins startled when he suddenly moved, shoving Kagome behind his back and producing a glowing green whip out of thin air in a blink of an eye. A moment later, Sasuke fell into a defensive position as the trees rustled and the very thing they were fleeing from stepped into view. He moved closer to his teammate as a precaution. Unnecessary, since the ogre only had eyes for one person.

"Goshinki," Sesshoumaru sneered as a dangerous acidic smell permeated the air. Poison oozed from his hand and flowed through the whip he was holding.

"Sesshoumaru!" The ogre's eyes widened and a hint of fear was almost evident in his voice. "How can this be? What are you doing here?" Red eyes flickered to the miko hiding behind the demon lord and pieced it together. "You were summoned, weren't you? By her!?" Never in his wildest imagination did he think the girl was capable of doing the unthinkable, but then he knew he should've listened to his own master. Instead of playing with his prey, he should've eliminated them instantly.

He took a step back unconsciously, instincts torn between fight or flight. On one hand, he was bound by his summoner's bidding, but on the other hand, this was Sesshoumaru he was about to take on. Pride and overconfidence in his abilities eventually won though, so he squared his shoulders and concentrated.

There were only a handful of opponents that would make him think twice before fighting, and the reason why Sesshoumaru was one of those handfuls was his uncanny ability to keep his thoughts shielded. While everyone else's minds were open books, Sesshoumaru's had always been tightly locked and harder to break through than shrine grounds guarded by a thousand priestesses.

Sesshoumaru struck first, whip cutting the ground and trees mere centimeters from where he just stood. Goshinki barely managed to duck, still unsuccessful at reading the demon lord's mind. While the two genins' minds emitted fear, apprehension, a shred of hope and were busy thinking of strategies to help their allies out, Sesshoumaru's mind was . . . a complete blank.

He had nothing.

Throwing himself forward, claws extended and body thrown forward to buy him more speed, Goshinki decided a frontal assault was his only option at the moment. Shuriken thrown by Sasuke whizzed through the air, barely missing him, but he was a second too slow to avoid the green whip that grazed his cheek.

Oh how he hated that perpetual smirk on Sesshoumaru's face!

Kagome might as well have turned into stone. The instant Goshinki appeared in front of them her legs became stiff and remained rooted to the ground. Memories of the beating they got from him earlier surfaced and the psychological imprint would've sent her to her knees if they weren't frozen in fear. The nightmare further worsened when the ogre attacked again and if it weren't for Sesshoumaru, she was certain she'd be dead meat by now.

Goshinki growled as another one of his attempts at cutting the girl down failed, foiled by Sesshoumaru's superior speed and poison whip. He ducked at the last second, receiving another gash to the legs, fueling his frustration. Uprooting a tree with his massive arms, he jumped high into the air and tossed it back down with him riding on the edge. At the last second, he kicked it to the direction of the gaping miko just as he accelerated towards his main opponent, but Sesshoumaru anticipated the movement and avoided his swipe. The tree trunk exploded a few feet above the air where Kagome was standing, but none of the shattered wood had a chance to rain down on her to deal damage due to Sesshoumaru's efforts.

"We have to get out of here," Sasuke's voice pulled her out of the fearful haze she was in, and it took her a few moments to grasp what he just said. Careful not to aggravate any injuries the still unconscious man might still be suffering despite the treatment Kagome gave him earlier, Sasuke draped him over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. When his teammate remained fixated at the high speed battle between the ogre and the summon, he tugged at her hand to get her going.

Though her eyes were still unable turn away from the damage Sesshoumaru and Goshinki were making, her legs moved on their own and allowed Sasuke to steer them clear out of harm's way. Goshinki was fighting dirty, unconcerned about anything but his survival. Craters formed and the ground shook, whole trees were shoved out of the way. Those that were lucky enough not to be uprooted slowly burned from green poison. Desperation and need for self-preservation aided the ogre where his mind-reading skills failed, allowing him to barely hold his own against the stoic demon lord.

Goshinki caught a lucky break and delivered a low kick but it was easily blocked and he received a backhand in return. He fled to the left, but Sesshoumaru easily followed, giving him several cuts with the green whip.

"Why are you doing this, Sesshoumaru? You're supposed to hate humans, not protect them!" He growled, hoping for a distraction or any kind of opening.

Sesshoumaru gave him a small reprieve and allowed him to scamper away, scoffing "Not _all_ humans, weakling," before he appeared right in front of Goshinki in the next instant. "I tire of this game," were the last words the ogre heard. A series of quick flicks of the wrists sliced him to bits.

"Gross!" Kagome looked away, turning green as various ogre parts and guts splattered on the ground, on the trees, but somehow managing to avoid the summon who single-handedly saved all their lives. Her knees went weak with relief, "That was great, Sesshoumaru-san!" thankful that their ordeal was finally over. "I can't believe you defeated him so easily. Even papa had a hard time fighting him, right Sasuke?"

Sasuke avoided answering the question by laying the Yondaime back on the ground carefully, as if he were a piece of glass.

"Did you know him, Sesshoumaru-san? He said your name when he saw you and he looked afraid . . . I wonder if he read your mind, too?" Kagome continued, careful not to include the splattered guts in her line of vision. Was that a head next to a pile of intestines? Forget that, she didn't even want to know. Talking was a nice distraction from the rollercoaster of emotions that she just experienced. "If he could, you were too fast for him. I couldn't even keep up with your speed! I've never seen anyone fight that fast before! Wow! That was impressive, wasn't it Sasuke?"

Sasuke didn't reply, but Kagome wasn't really waiting for one.

"That green whip was cool, too. I like how you made it appear and disappear out of thin air. I could do barriers, but whips are out of my league. Was your whip laced with poison?"

Sesshoumaru didn't answer, too busy listening to the distant sounds of battle. Shukaku seemed like he had the upper hand for the moment, with his vessel in deep sleep and the tandem between the kit and the frog boss on shaky ground. It should be over soon. He turned to the miko still awaiting his reply. "I will take you back to the village and see that you get there safely." It was more of an order, if anything.

"What about my brother?" Kagome asked, slightly taken aback at the abrupt change of topics.

Sesshoumaru looked unconcerned even as Gamabunta and Naruto transformed into a giant nine-tailed fox and rushed towards Shukaku. "The kit can handle him. He is in no need of my assistance."

"Can you please go help him?" Kagome flinched and closed her eyes when their giant-sized attacks produced a heavy downpour and strong winds, devastating the area.

The action was unnecessary, Sasuke noted with distaste, since Sesshoumaru shielded her from it. "We can't leave our team mate behind." Then he said a little snappily, "Why don't you go help him like she asked you to? Isn't that what summoned beings are supposed to do?"

Sesshoumaru mentally weighed the benefits of squeezing the life out of the boy against getting sat by the miko.

"Please?" Kagome added hopefully. Were her other summons ever this uncooperative? Her frown deepened when he refused to budge. "You know, my other summons were always very helpful. None of them ever complained or thought twice after I asked something of them or gave me a hard time. Ah, oh wait," a sudden thought occurred to her, "well, maybe Jaken, but that was back in the early days. Kakashi-sensei probably had it coming to him. He did throw Jaken's stick away . . ." she rambled off, going into details Sesshoumaru already knew.

"Jaken is my servant," he supplied, interrupting her long-winded musings.

Kagome's eyes rounded perceptively. "Oh. Well, that's very interesting. I didn't know you knew each other before. Do you know Jinenji-san, too? I summoned him before you and he was injured badly. Do you know what happened to him? Is he okay?"

"He is fine as far as I'm concerned," Sesshoumaru replied. She looked very hopeful so he felt compelled to add, "He talked to Jaken a few days ago and they recounted their tales of their summons." There was no need to share that the two demons carried on like simpering little girls, bubbling over with their excitement and happiness so much that his boot 'accidentally' collided with Jaken's head to stop the disgusting noises they were making.

The young girl breathed a great sigh of relief. "That's great. I was worried about him but couldn't repeat the summon even if my life depended on it," she joked, referring to the earlier incident. "I'm really glad you came to help us though," she beamed at him, searching his face for signs that he acknowledged her statement. He reminded her of Itachi so much, not in looks but in demeanor. Even after being in his company so far, she felt connected to him more than she had with the previous summoned beings. How weird was that? "Ah! But anyway, stop making me forget!" Blue eyes narrowed, irritated. "Please go help my brother. Please!" she continued to beg.

A minute must have passed, though it felt like forever, before Sesshoumaru's head tilted ever so slightly; she would've missed it if she wasn't watching him so intently. "The fight is over," he said, just as Shukaku reverted back to being just Gaara. A few seconds later Gamabunta poofed out as well, saying something about replenishing his chakra. How he guessed so accurately she would never know, and Kagome felt herself getting carried away on top of Sesshoumaru's shoulder, face down and butt in the air, before she even got a word out towards the general area where Naruto had fallen. Sasuke followed right behind the demon lord, carrying the Yondaime.

They found Naruto trying to make his way towards a freaked out Gaara one painful inch at a time. Both boys' foreheads were coated with blood, as if they'd had a head on collision with each other. Gaara looked more battered than Naruto, who was still able to move. The sand-nin lay on the ground, screaming at Naruto to stop, get away from him. The blond Konoha genin wasn't paying attention, determined to get to the redhead even if it killed him.

"That's enough Naruto," Sasuke interrupted Naruto's excruciating wormlike journey towards Gaara. "Your dad is fine, your sister is safe, the ogre is gone, Gaara's down for the count, everything's fine now. You don't have to continue fighting anymore."

Naruto's face scraped the dirt as he turned to look at his teammate. It was true, he noted happily. Sasuke was laying his dad on the ground, probably unconscious; Kagome was bloodied, bruised and dirty as hell but she looked happy despite the tears in her eyes; but who was the stranger whose arm she was holding on to and why did he feel so familiar? "Who are you?" he managed to ask before passing out.

"Naruto!" Kagome rushed to his side, just as two blur passed by.

"Gaara!" Temari suddenly appeared, Kankuro beside her with his battered puppets poised to attack.

"Stay back!" Sasuke instructed, placing himself in between his teammates and the three Sand siblings, kunai drawn. The tension escalated even as Kagome started healing Naruto at his feet. While Sasuke and Kankuro eyed each other warily with their weapons drawn, Temari took the time to carefully support Gaara upright, ready to flee in the next instant, and leave Kankuro to cover their back. Sesshoumaru looked unimpressed by the non-threat they all posed.

"That's enough," Gaara rasped, eyes flicked apprehensively on the stranger with the overwhelming presence and then settled on the blond getting first aid from his sister. "Don't fight them anymore Kankuro, Temari." Speech was a challenge; talking alone needed a lot of effort because of the broken ribs and pained jaw. But he learned his lesson today, and much, much more. He needed to clear his head to think. The two older siblings exchanged glances on top of their little brother's head before nodding. They took to the trees in a flash, leaving the Konoha party behind.

Sasuke relaxed only when their chakras were too far away for him to sense, turning to his female teammate who was still pouring healing chakra on her unconscious brother.

"That's enough, Kagome. Let's take him back to the city and get the medics to do it. You haven't rested since your match with Kanna and you don't look very good right now."

Kagome looked up and frowned. "Well thanks for the compliment, Sasuke. You don't look like your normal self right now either. If any of your fangirls ever see you they might just rethink of getting a refund on their membership fees."

"That's not what I meant," Sasuke rolled his eyes. Trust a girl to take it the wrong way. Even Kagome, who was the poster child for perfection in most people in their village's eyes, could be vain and sensitive about her look, too. "I was talking about your stamina. I don't even know where you're still awake and conscious right now. Your reserves probably ran out quite some time ago. You should rest. Let's take your father and Naruto back and have the medics take care of them."

"I'm pleased to know you have so much faith in me, Sasuke."

"You keep missing my point, Kagome."

The two continued to bicker for several moments before Sesshoumaru stepped in. "The half-breed is right, miko. You should rest now. Do not worry about anything else except regaining your chakra back. Your ki is also in a state of severe disarray. I'll take you back to the village, safe and sound."

"Stop calling me a half-breed! I have a name. It's Sasuke. Use it instead of calling me other names!" the irritated Uchiha snapped.

"Not without my family and Sasuke," Kagome argued, ignoring Sasuke's outburst, hands fisting on her lap as she halted her first aid on Naruto. There was so much truth in their words; she was really tired and she even felt a little lightheaded, but she wasn't about to admit she felt like passing out to either of them. What if she let her guard down and another Goshinki-like surprise was dropped on them? She'd had enough bad surprises for today, thank you very much. She was determined not to lose conciousness until she was a hundred and fifty percent sure they were in the clear.

"If that is your wish," Sesshoumaru acquiesced, eager to get back to their village and get to the root of the main issue in his mind.

A breeze blew through the clearing, ruffling leaves on the broken branches around him. He listened to the genins argue on how to get back home with the two unconscious members in their party as the wind ruffled the fur on his shoulder. Kagome didn't want Sasuke to strain himself, saying that he was just as exhausted as she was. He couldn't possibly carry both her brother and her father while making chakra powered jumps. Did he even have any chakra left?

Sasuke countered that he didn't fight his scheduled match, unlike her, and reminded her that he had more stamina. He conveniently forgot to mention that he had to fight Temari to get to Gaara and left out the gory details of his defeat in Goshinki's hands.

Kagome retaliated by punching him in the arm, to which he retorted that it didn't even hurt him, proving that she really was tired and had to rest. He added that he was the one who had been carrying the Yondaime around all this time anyway, and it wasn't a big deal for him to give Naruto a lift to the hospital as well.

When Kagome started saying that he'd only overexert himself, Sesshoumaru decided to put a stop to their incessant bickering and told them that_he_ would give them all a lift to the village.

"Even Sasuke, Naruto and Papa?" Kagome asked warily.

Sesshoumaru grudgingly agreed but not before making his dislike for the Uchiha very clear. When asked how he was supposed to carry them all back to town he decided to show them instead of going into another drawn out discussion.

The two genins couldn't help but gape in awe as he transformed into a giant white dog.

Sasuke tried not to do it with his mouth open while Kagome squealed. "You're so cute!" then rushed to pet the only part she could reach ― the giant dog's paw.

Cute? With its freaky red eyes and ugly crescent shape on the forehead? Sasuke eyed the creature distrustfully. "Are we supposed to _ride_ him back to the village like a huge monster pony?"

"As much as I would prefer to have no physical contact between you and me aside from connecting my fist to your face, human, I think the answer to that question is fairly obvious," the dog spoke.

He would've snapped something back at it if Kagome hadn't already taken advantage of that offer and instructed him to carry her brother and dad over gently.

When all four were safely on top, Sesshoumaru took to the air easily, surprising his passengers with his flight capabilities. They reached the high walls of Konoha in no time, causing massive panic to the people below.

"It's okay, he's with us!" Kagome shouted at the frightened masses. Her words weren't very reassuring to the shinobi who prepared to attack. "Stop! Don't do it!!!" Sesshoumaru's tail swatted away those who didn't hear or thought she wasn't serious. They dropped like flies.

Arashi woke up just as they reached the hospital grounds, disoriented. The last thing he remembered was fighting a losing battle with the ogre before everything went black; now he was laying on something furry and comfortable, wind blowing around him and his daughter giving someone directions on where to land. The fur and everything else beneath him disappeared a moment later, barely giving him time to gather his wits enough to land on shaky feet.

"You could've at least warned us you were doing that!" Sasuke complained at the rude dog that only bothered to catch the twins when he shifted back to his human form. He glared hatefully at Sesshoumaru, who carefully set Kagome down, but found that he no longer had the undivided contempt he received earlier.

Sesshoumaru's silent disdain was now fully directed at the oblivious Yondaime. Sasuke could've probably kicked him on the head and Sesshoumaru wouldn't have paid him the slightest attention.

"You're awake!" Kagome cried in relief, happy tears misting her eyes as she hugged her father.

"What happened after I passed out?" Arashi returned the hug and refused to let go even as medics rushed out of the building to meet them. Despite shaky legs and feeling a little faint, he didn't fail to notice the stranger who carefully handed the still sleeping Naruto to the hospital staff ― and was his eyes playing on him or did he detect a healthy dose of dislike in those golden eyes when they looked at him? "What'd I miss?"

Kagome willingly filled him in on the events that transpired, detailing their heroic rescue courtesy of the now named former stranger who, he further noticed, always hovered protectively behind his daughter. She talked from the entrance to the medical ward, refusing to leave his side even for a minute, holding his hand, giving him a pat on the head when he tried to escape the medic holding the needle, and all the way to the private room the hospital staff insisted on keeping him in even when he assured them that his injuries were minor. His suggestion for resting at home and giving the room to other injured people instead was overruled by the medical staff.

What would the village do if their only remaining leader suddenly suffered complications? Konoha couldn't suffer losing their current Hokage especially after they just lost the Sandaime. Thus they continued to poke and prod, regularly sending in the best medical staff to check on his condition.

"Don't be such a baby and just let them do their job." Jiraiya chided, snatching an apple from one of the many fruit baskets in the room. Unlike his student, he came away from all his fights without a single scratch. No injuries equaled to zero fruit baskets and he was stuck babysitting because his former student was being a very difficult patient.

"I'm not being a baby." Arashi insisted. "All I'm saying is that I could just go and rest in the comfort of my own home. I don't need to ― ow! Good god man, that freaking hurts! Can't you treat me a little more delicately?!!"

The medic poking at his ribs gave his Hokage a very tolerant look. "This is why we keep telling you that you need to stay here for observation, Yondaime-sama. You broke quite a few ribs and even punctured a lung. Even though the first aid treatment you received saved your life and spared you a great deal of pain, you still need to be supervised while you recover."

Arashi rubbed his bruised ribs and glared like an offended little boy at the medic, grumbling under his breath about stupid doctors and their stupid cold hands and the stupid hospital and its stupid white walls that were even more stupid and depressing.

Jiraiya could only roll his eyes as he chewed on his stolen apple.

Hours later, even as Kagome went home to get some clothes with Haku ― that white shadow not far behind ― and after Naruto was transferred to the extra bunk in the room, the news of Sarutobi's passing still hit Arashi hard. List of casualties, restoration plans, funeral services and status reports were only a few of the things that he had to deal with.

Lots of buildings were damaged, not to mention the landscape changed by the battle between the giant summons; many teams lost members, some were even decimated; and the injured were thankfully taken care of. The current situation was still bleak, but their village survived. Despite the huge sacrifices they had to make, Konoha was still standing.

Two clans he wasn't at all surprised that received the least amount of casualties and injuries were the Hyuugas and Uchihas. When Fugaku and Hiashi dropped by to visit him and give him updates, he was pleased to find out that only a handful of their elite clan members were caught unaware. Even if Arashi had to suffer through Hiashi's boasts of how his clansmen played a huge part in Konoha's internal defense and Fugaku countering with how the Uchihas did a better job at external defense, he was still thankful the two clans were still standing strong.

Yes, he had to repeat that mantra to himself as he let the two clan heads discuss their clans' respective accomplishments in the thwarted invasion. Naruto, bless his heart, slept through the heated debate and Arashi didn't think anybody noticed how happy he was to receive the injection the nurse gave him after; the one that interrupted Fugaku's and Hiashi's showdown.

Kagome came back a few minutes later, leaving her silver-haired shadow behind after telling them she was going to see if Sasuke was well enough to get discharged. Sesshoumaru didn't look pleased with this, but conceded to let her go for a short amount of time when threatened with a sitting. She had to promise not to venture outside of the hospital though, but that was good enough for her; ever since she summoned him he stuck to her like glue, silently scaring any perceived threats away with his intimidating presence and threatening glares.

Why just this morning she caught him having a non-verbal pissing contest with Itachi! What was _that_ all about?

"So, your name is Sesshoumaru." Arashi attempted to make polite conversation when the medics finally left the room.

"Sesshoumaru-_sama_," was the tart reply.

"O-kay," Arashi blinked, not used to anyone giving him attitude ever since he became Hokage. "Thank you for helping us, Sesshoumaru-sama. My children mean the world to me and I can't express my gratitude enough for what you've done for them and the village."

Sesshoumaru's only response was cold indifference; Arashi didn't know what else to say except thank you. Awkwardness grew heavy in the room so it was a blessed relief to the Hokage, who felt like he just got pelted with his own Humble Pie in the face, when the door suddenly opened and a stream of visitors poured in.

The cold demeanor still didn't improve as days went by, even after the public memorial service held for those who passed away.

"Why is your summon still here?" Kakashi asked one afternoon while they were gathered in the Uzumaki home. The renovations around town were going at a steady pace; Konoha's forces were dealt a heavy blow, but everything was slowly getting back to normal somehow. Why, with almost the entire party of clowns present ― Jiraiya lounging by the window, Uchihas brooding in separate corners, a Hyuuga pretending said Uchihas were invisible, Naruto proving he was fully recovered (or at least his mouth was), Haku patiently listening to whatever new scheme Miroku was cooking up, Arashi mirroring Haku's patient expression as he listened to Mushin, and Hinata sticking to Kagome like glue while casting apprehensive glances Sesshoumaru's way ― even their lives were gaining a sense of normalcy.

Yes . . . he glanced at the stoic new addition to their brood who was making most of them feel uncomfortable . . . well, _almost_ normal anyway.

Kagome could only shrug and say, "He doesn't want to leave. I've already dismissed him, but he tells me he doesn't have to go back if he doesn't want to. Apparently he's the type who's strong enough to do that, unlike most summons who can't resist forced dismissals." Then leaned in to whisper, unaware of the dog demon's exceptional hearing, "I think he's still worried for my safety. He won't even let Itachi near me and he made Hinata cry the other day."

Kakashi smiled under his mask, noting his student's frown. "How come?"

Her shoulders lifted in a shrug, "Your guess is as good as mine, really. He got mad when he found out she gave me my bracelet and his eyes turned red. It was really scary. I swear I saw his fangs grow! Poor Hinata, she's still wary of him. And," her frown deepened, "he keeps calling Sasuke and Itachi half-breeds. Fugaku-san couldn't stand to be in the same room with him for more than a minute. I can't even introduce him to their mama because of it!"

Kakashi didn't laugh, he was trying to be polite. "I wonder why he calls them that."

Mushin cast a surreptitious glance at the demon under discussion. He wasn't very thrilled when he found out about his student's silver-haired friend, especially when his demonic background was made clear to him. Immediately instructing Kagome to send him back, his intention was to never allow her to perform such a summoning act anymore, but the idea didn't sit well with the dog demon. An _armed_ and _very dangerous_ dog demon, he learned, when his neck became very familiar with the sharp end of the aforementioned demon's sword.

One of them at least, since he had two in his possession. That single sword display was enough for him to keep his mouth shut though, at least for now, or until he and his grandson could figure out a way to out-speed the opponent. The demon would cut him faster than he or Miroku could reach for a sutra.

Arashi didn't bother to hide his amusement at what he overheard. "It looks to me like he doesn't like you very much, Itachi-kun."

Itachi didn't respond to his teasing. Instead it was Sesshoumaru who said, "Don't act so happy about it, human. I don't like you either."

"What? How come? Why? What'd I do?" Arashi asked, totally perplexed. He thought they were getting along fine?

Sesshoumaru eyes narrowed at him for several seconds before he finally responded, "You killed Rin."

Naruto stopped in mid-sentence to stare at him because of the statement he just made. In fact, everyone in the room suddenly turned or stopped to listen, interested.

"Rin as in my student?" the Yondaime blinked owlishly at him. "I didn't know you were so concerned about her, or that you knew her for that matter, but just to clarify things, I didn't kill her!"

The great demon lord gave a whole new meaning to the phrase 'if looks could kill' as his eyes further narrowed. "No, I meant Rin, your deceased wife."

"My wife's name wasn't Rin," Arashi protested.

"Yeah, you have the wrong person. Mom's name was Kushina, not Rin," Naruto recovered and rolled his eyes.

"It matters not what her name was to you. I knew her as Rin," Sesshoumaru repeated for the children's sakes, "and your father killed her."

"Papa killed mama? You lie!" Kagome frowned at the summon who was slandering her father. Demon or not, nobody could spread lies about her dad and get away with it. "Take that back!"

"I didn't kill my wife!" Arashi exclaimed, horrified at the thought. What a horrible, horrible accusation to make!

"She died at childbirth and you're the lowlife who got her pregnant," Sesshoumaru stated matter-of-factly. "_You_ killed her." The flash of red in his eyes appeared only for a moment, unnoticed by Arashi who was choking on his own indignation.

"That doesn't mean dad wanted her to die!" Naruto answered in behalf of his sputtering father, matching his sister's fierce frown directed towards the demon lord. "It's not like he could see the future and did it on purpose, idiot!"

"Yeah!" Kagome agreed. "What's it to you anyway?" He acted like he despised humans like they were festering, contagious boils yet why was he making a fuss about a human female's death?

Everyone present waited for the demon lord to answer the genin's question. His silence was marred only by Arashi trying to defend himself in the background, aided by hands flailing in the air. Sesshoumaru looked like he didn't care for any of the Fourth's half-assed explanations, if his cold countenance was any indication. He either had a thing for theatrics or the topic affected him more than he led on.

"Rin was . . ." pursed lips indicated he didn't like talking about the subject, "Rin is my ward."

"Say what?" was Miroku's very articulate way of showing his surprise. Everyone else couldn't help but hear the conversation even though they weren't included in it, but he alone had the bad manners to jump into the middle of it.

"She was supposed to give birth to Kagome without any complications but several things went wrong, so Shippou had to foolishly interfere and was dragged into the mess. Then your village idiot sealed him inside the boy and threw a wrench into our status quo."

"What mess?" questioned Mushin. "What status quo?"

"Shippou who?" asked Miroku at the same time.

"Did he just call me the village idiot?" Arashi frowned. Jiraiya swiped at his head, but he ducked in time.

"Focus!" the sannin ordered, snapping his fingers.

"Focus!" Arashi mimicked with exaggerated hand and head movements, knowing very well how to push his former sensei's buttons. Jiraiya didn't aim for his head this time, landing a punch on his idiot student's side instead, hard enough to earn a wince.

Sesshoumaru ignored them all, instead turning to Kagome. "If you summon Jaken, he will explain everything."

"Jaken?" Arashi's head tilted to one side, a trait inherited by his daughter, a sign of confusion. "Why does that name sound so familiar?"

Kakashi couldn't keep the distaste out of his voice, "He's one of those_things_ that helped the brats during the genin qualification test."

Arashi's bright blues widened in realization. "Ooh! He's the one who burned you," a fist pounded on an open palm. "I remember now!"

Kakashi's one visible eye narrowed at his former sensei's obvious amusement and Naruto's annoying laughter.

"Let's see this Jaken then," Jiraiya encouraged impatiently. Everyone turned to look expectantly at the miko.

Kagome heaved a hefty sigh, shaking her shoulders and arms to relax her muscles. _You can do this, Kagome,_ she silently cheered herself on. Bolstering her courage, she stepped into the middle of the room and began her summoning act, a little nervous with the audience. After the display of runes and lights, a toad-like creature with green skin, carrying a staff with two heads appeared. Beady yellow eyes glittered happily before it squeaked in joy.

"Sesshoumaru-sama!" The imp cried out, throwing himself at his master's feet, hugging it. Sesshoumaru kicked him away, but he recovered quickly. "Kagome-sama! You summoned my lord! I knew it was you, I just knew it! I told all those stupid demons it was you but they didn't believe me! Thank Inu no Taisho you've reunited with my master!"

"Jaken."

"I never thought this day would come but I knew we can count on you! I'm so happy!" Hinata tried not to shudder as he came within an arm's length, gushing at how wonderful it was to see Kagome again.

"Jaken!" Sesshoumaru thundered.

He promptly shut up, shaking in his boots a little. "Yes my lord?"

"The miko wishes to know about Rin, Shippou," the toad's eyes widened with each name mentioned, "and the half-breeds. You will tell them what you know."

Suspicious eyes flicked towards Itachi and then Sasuke. "Are you sure, my lord?" He bit his tongue at the last word, realized his mistake in questioning his lord's motives and then bowed low in apology. "O-of course, as you say, my lord."

Not wasting another second begging for his lord's forgiveness for daring to question an order, Jaken picked a spot in the middle of the room. Staff in hand and head held straight, he cleared his throat. Silence fell among the room's occupants as they gave the toad their undivided attention.

"Long ago," Jaken began, "there was a time when demons and humans alike lived on this earth. Humans," he said distastefully, "were obviously inferior to us demons who possess superior skills and powers that no mortal man could even dream of. It was a time of prosperity for many youkai clans, and there were demons of all imaginable races ― bat demons, horse demons, cat demons, bird demons. Among these clans, there were four who ruled on top, the most powerful: The dragon demons of the east, the fox demons of the south, the wolf demons of the north, and the dog demons of the west. The four clans ruled their own territories, not interfering with the other. For a long time they did not get along well with each other but dared not to intrude on the others' territories."

"They held no allegiances to each other, but there were distinct relationships between the four. The foxes of the south were neutral with the dragons of the east, didn't like the wolves of the north and held great respect for the dogs of the west. The wolves of the north were neutral with the dogs of the west and didn't care about the other two clans. And up until the last leader of the dragon clan succeeded, there were a lot of animosity between the dog clan and the dragon clan. It wasn't until the last of the east dragon clan's head took over that the actual violence started."

"Violence?" Jiraiya asked, recalling his younger years. "You mean war?"

Jaken nodded, "Yes. It eventually led to that. At first there were the occasional raids on each other's lands. Back then border disputes would sometimes escalate into torching of villages. Humans were the most vulnerable because they were weak, so the east would sometimes obliterate the humans living near the border they shared with the west in their rampage. There were more humans in the west you see, because the east only kept humans as pets or slaves while they were allowed to flourish in the west and south. Humans were also allowed to live on eastern soil, but at a high price. Their life expectancies were low and they were the filthiest humans in all the four areas; they were always sweatier, more disgusting, less tolerable and downright sickening than normal humans."

All the 'normal humans' listening to Jaken's story frowned at him.

"The dragon clan cared for the humans the least. While the south and west lived in harmony with the humans sharing their territories, humans were the lowest pieces of currency in the east. And that was only when they were allowed to survive. Oh sure there were a few whom the ruling clan amused themselves greatly with, but they were all bandits and robbers; they were only allowed to live as long as they killed their own kind when ordered and created dispute among other villages. The fox clan and the dog clan were tolerant of humans, and the dragons took advantage of this weakness."

"What about the humans in the north?" Miroku interjected. "There _were_ humans living in the north, weren't there? Or was the northern clan human-haters too?"

Jaken's grinned from ear to ear. "The wolves of the north _loved_ humans." Miroku returned the smile. "They loved them so much because they were considered food," the toad continued, wiping Miroku's smile off of his face. "Sometimes the wolves would go on a hunting spree and gorge on an entire village or two, leaving no survivors. I heard they liked to eat women and children best because the meat is juicier and the bones are softer than ―"

"Stop! That's disgusting!" Kagome shuddered. "You don't need to tell us all the gory details, yuck!" All the younger kids looked a little green, except for Haku, who looked paler than usual.

Jaken's head drooped as he mumbled an apology.

"Is Sesshoumaru―"

"Sesshoumaru_-sama_!" Jaken's head snapped back up as he glared at the offender.

"I apologize," Miroku tried not to roll his eyes. "Is Sesshoumaru-sama from the dog demons of the west?"

"That's correct!" Jaken seemed pleased that Miroku realized this. "Sesshoumaru-sama's father is the great and powerful dog general who ruled the Western Lands."

"Ruled?" Naruto asked.

Jaken's shoulders slumped. "He is gone. Sesshoumaru-sama succeeded after his father died from the wounds he received in his battle with Ryukotsusei, the leader of the dragon clan back then."

"What happened?" Kagome glanced sympathetically at the demon lord who showed no emotion to his retainer's stories.

"Well," Jaken replied, "there had always been a rivalry between the dragon and the dog clans. Out of all the four ruling clans, it was rumored that the strongest demons were the white dogs of the west. The dragon clan didn't like this and the tension between the two clans escalated. Unlike the dragons who liked to flaunt their powers over the puny humans and weaker demons, the dog clan ruled through admiration and respect. Tales of their countless victories were enough to put fear into the hearts of their enemies and those who were foolish enough to challenge them were swiftly dealt with. Inu no Taisho brought peace and prosperity to his lands, attracting demons and humans alike to live in his lands."

"He was a great leader and also the very first to forge a friendship with a miko some say was one of the greatest ones to have ever lived. The dragons were very envious of this. After some time, the humans finally found a way to fight back without using only the weak weapons. Some select few even developed spiritual powers that allowed them to purify demons. They eventually grew in number and were now able to defend themselves efficiently and sometimes even turn the tables on the demons. Demon exterminators also became popular, further evening out the odds between the wars with the humans versus the demons."

"Demon Slayer legends are still popular to this day," Mushin shared, "but they are just that ― legends. Slayer clans were very secretive and didn't like sharing the tricks of their trades with outsiders. When the clan dies out, their traditions die with them. What little documentation they have are also lost."

"That sucks," Miroku responded. "I would've loved to meet a lady exterminator or two."

Jaken gave him the weirdest look and he was quiet for a long minute. "Yes," the toad finally said when he recovered. Was that look amusement? Miroku couldn't tell. It vanished in an instant as he continued with his story. "A lot of demon exterminator clans flourished during the reign of Inu no Taisho, but only one survived through the onset of Sesshoumaru-sama's time. Most of them weren't that successful in defending themselves against mass attacks of demons who realized banding together gave them more advantage against the humans who made a living out of exterminating them. Only the best clans survived. Near the end of Inu no Taisho's reign, there were only a handful left; by the time Sesshoumaru-sama officially ruled, there were none."

Sesshoumaru's loyal servant had a lot to tell them, going through what felt like hours and hours of recounting the greatness of the dog demon clan. Some of them found the toad's stories fascinating; Mushin and Miroku were so engaged in their conversations with the imp that they hardly noticed the passage of time.

Arashi could barely keep his eyes open when the toad went on and on and _on_ about the merits of his precious master's dog clan. His blond head was nodding off by the time Jaken finally finished with Inu no Taisho's accomplishments and started with Sesshoumaru's. He droned on and freaking on about the time Inu no Taisho's successor saved him from certain death and described in great detail the deeds Sesshoumaru did in his reign over the Western Lands.

Boooring!

His sleepy haze was interrupted when the monks suddenly launched into excited chatter at what the imp just said; Mushin and Miroku looking like kids in a candy store. He discreetly straightened his from his slumped position on the couch and forced himself to at least pay some attention to the conversation, which now even had his former sensei and student interested in. Something about a jewel, its priestess and a hanyou with baboon pelt fetish . . .

He stifled a yawn that threatened to escape, glancing around to see if anyone was as bored as he was. His brow quirked in surprise to find that even his son was paying close attention, and more surprisingly, the Uchiha brothers as well. As hard as they tried to conceal their expressions, even the Uchihas looked interested when Jaken got to the part of the demon named Sojobo. Apparently, some half-demon named Naraku had the ability to create full demons from his own body and Sojobo was one of those demons spawned by the hanyou, who was a full-fledged demon crow.

When asked what this hanyou and his tengu offspring had to do with the current conversation, Jaken looked directly at where Sasuke and Itachi were brooding and said, "Sojobo is father to the one named Madara."

The sound of Jiraiya's jaw hitting the floor was lost in the sea of confused faces, most of them except for three people didn't know who exactly Jaken was talking about. "You mean _that_ Madara?" The old sannin was quick to recover, pointing out clearly, "You're talking about Uchiha Madara, right?"

There was a time delay of three seconds before pandemonium broke loose.

"Wait, wait," Naruto's loud voice could be heard above the ―

"No way!"

"Do you know him, Itachi? Sasuke? He sounds familiar, wait, isn't he that―"

"Uchiha? As in the Uchiha clan?"

"Are you serious!?!"

― exchanges in the enclosed space.

"Who is Uchiha Madara? Is he related to Sasuke?"

The noise level suddenly went down as all the adults and most of the teens stared at him in disbelief. Even Haku, who wasn't a native of Konoha, turned to gape at him. "You mean you don't know who the founder of the Uchiha clan is, Naruto-kun? That legend is famous even in my country. Everyone knows about the battle of the Valley of the End where Konoha's Shodai dueled with and defeated him."

Naruto blinked at his friend and they could almost see the exact moment when it hit him ― "You mean teme's some kind of part-demon . . ." He left the thought unfinished, turning to Sasuke with a new one and a wide grin on his face as he pointed, "I always knew you were a demon spawn, teme! Haha, now this just proves that I was right all along! Bastard demon Sasuke!"

"Thank you," Sasuke directed towards Kagome when she reached over to smack her brother at the side of his head.

The older blond in his family had a revelation of his own. "That's why your master doesn't like the Uchihas, isn't it? That's why he keeps calling Itachi-kun and Sasuke-kun half-breeds."

"You're not as stupid as we initially thought you were, human." Jaken complimented.

Arashi frowned at the toad that was one step away from being road kill.

"So does that mean the legend of a tengu seducing a Hyuuga girl to produce the Sharingan is true?" Miroku questioned.

"That story is more or less accurate," Jaken replied. "The curse that Naraku carried has passed down from generation to generation although the mark has disappeared from their backs. It is now in their eyes."

Jiraiya and Arashi exchanged a loaded glance. Neither said a word but they seemed to know what the other was thinking. Mushin didn't miss the exchange. "What is it?"

The Hokage and his mentor looked at each other again, silently communicating with their eyes before the older one nodded. "Arashi and I have a suspicion that Madara might have been involved in summoning the Kyuubi all those years ago when he attacked the village."

"Impossible!" Sesshoumaru thundered, annoyed at the pitiful humans who jumped in surprise. Fearful yet curious eyes turned to the demon lord who was silent until now. "Shippou went to the human world to check on Rin and oversee Kagome's rebirth. He went berserk because the spell he performed to get Kagome took too much chakra and he stayed here too long without a contract. Like me, he doesn't answer to random calls. He is not one to be summoned so easily. What you are saying cannot be true."

Everyone but Jaken looked utterly confused. "Shippou?" Kagome blinked. Why did that name sound so familiar?

His voice lost its hardened edge when he turned to the girl. "He is the one you recognize as the Nine-tailed fox. We know him by his name, Shippou."

"He never told me he had a name," Naruto said more to himself than anyone else in the room. "I guess he forgot to mention it to me, or something."

"You talked to the Kyuubi before?" the Yondaime boggled, unable to wrap his mind around the thought of his precious son conversing with the dangerous demon sealed inside him.

"Yeah," Naruto answered, absentmindedly patting his belly where the seal was. "When Ero Sennin was teaching me how to summon properly he tossed me over a slippery cliff. I couldn't get a solid foothold even with my chakra so I had to rely on summoning something big and I had this weird conversation with the fox. He loaned me some of his chakra and I was able to summon Gamabunta."

"He did what!?" Arashi exclaimed, throwing a half-horrified, half-angry look of disbelief at his former sensei.

Jiraiya shrugged like it was no big deal. "Hey, it worked, didn't it?"

"He could have died!"

"But he didn't," the old man argued, ignoring the angry sputtering. "And that's what counts."

"When Shippou was sealed he wasn't in his right mind," Jaken jumped in before a full-blown fight could break out. "He had lost control of his humanoid form and had allowed his baser instinct to take over."

"Well if he has a human form that night, I never saw it when I tangled with him. He was in full giant fox mode, sinister chakra ablaze and all nine tails thrashing." Arashi said, recalling unwanted memories.

Jaken had more to tell them and the monks plied him with countless questions which he tried to answer them to the best of his knowledge. He talked until he was hoarse. To an extent, Kagome was just as fascinated as Mushin and Miroku, but Naruto's constant yawning and restless movements distracted her from giving the green demon as much enthusiasm as her male counterparts did. As interesting as the topics were, he was still someone who couldn't sit still for very long, and this little meeting of theirs had stretched into more than two hours already.

Noticing her brother's restlessness, Kagome excused herself and went to the kitchen, preparing meals for everyone. Surely they were a little famished by now. Only Hinata got up and offered to help, the men continued on with their discussion. Many minutes later when they were done and the food was brought to where they were gathered, they were still at it. After lunch, Haku offered to help the girls with the dishes.

At this point the knowledgeable toad was nearing the end of his insanely long list of stories and it was Arashi who showed the most interest when Jaken went on to explain the legend of the shikon no tama and its relationship to Kagome. He found it hard to believe that his daughter was the supposed guardian of the jewel and that his dearly departed wife was so deeply connected with these demons. Kushina's former incarnation was allegedly the first and only human that Sesshoumaru took under his wing, adopting her as his own. They were all supposed to believe that the demon lord who looked at them (with the exception of Kagome and Naruto) like they were bugs to be crushed under his boot had a soft spot for his deceased wife.

Riiight.

He was fully aware of Kushina's attributes. One of the main characteristics that attracted him to her was her ability to make friends, a trait that their children seemed to have inherited ― but befriending a demon? Reincarnation of what? Baby Kagome teleporting from the womb because the Kyuubi made some kind of weird jutsu to take her due to complications during the pregnancy . . . huh?

ღ

"They think we're stupid," he voiced out loud to Kakashi, Mushin and Jiraiya. It was the middle of the afternoon and the kids were out doing errands to help fix the village, taking the toad and the dog with them, which left the older ones to discuss the things shared earlier. "I've heard some fantastic tales before but this takes the cake." Part of him didn't want to believe all of the things said today but a bigger part of him, the more rational side, knew that all of it was true.

Judging from the looks the others were giving him, they believed Jaken's tales as well.

It was hard not to believe anything the self-proclaimed Demon Lord and his green assistant said, especially when none of them were willing to risk death by outright calling them liars, and after a series of more questions answered, Arashi was finally willing to accept what Sesshoumaru and his toad said as truth. That didn't mean he couldn't poke holes at the one fact that bothered him the most though ― because if that were true, then wouldn't that make the intimidating demon was almost his father in law in a really messed up way? A chill ran up his spine. Oh hell no.

A demon sealed inside his son and a legendary jewel supposedly under the care of his daughter he could believe . . . but Kushina? His beautiful, precious, fun-loving, perfect Kushina was also involved in this whole mess, conspiracy ― whatever it was ― and didn't tell him? It was unbelievable. He didn't even want to consider it!

Ow, it made his brain hurt just thinking about it.

"I don't know about that, sensei." Kakashi was the first to reply, nudging him out of his thoughts. "I've seen and heard a fair share during my time and I admit I've never even heard, much less imagined half of what they told us. My gut feeling tells me that they were telling the truth."

It seemed like the leader of Team Seven's sentiments were unanimous among all them, and after several minutes of posturing, Arashi finally admitted to his true opinions as well. That didn't make the next couple of weeks easier for any of them, however, especially when Sesshoumaru thought that giving them all the information he did gave him permission to treat Kagome like she was his own daughter. . . or granddaughter, Jiraiya annoyingly pointed out for the Yondaime. Two angry fathers, one blond and one silver-haired, got into numerous fights after that, most of them involving a lot of glaring, some shouting (but only on Arashi's part since Sesshoumaru didn't need to raise his voice to sound threatening), and two incidents where weapons were drawn.

Triggers for the first few smaller fights were innocent enough. A comment made by Sesshoumaru didn't sit well with Arashi ― _"You are unfit to take care of the children" _― sparking a glaring match. And Arashi didn't like the way Sesshoumaru was treating Kagome's friends, especially sweet Hinata who couldn't even hurt a fly ― _"Is it really necessary to scare the poor kid out of her wits every time she visits?"_

The shouting only started when the demon lord made a comment about taking over Kagome's education and taking her with him when he left. Unaware of the fury building within the enraged father, Sesshoumaru continued to explain and got to the part of allowing them a few days to say goodbye before the Hokage exploded ―_"You're not taking my daughter anywhere!!! Don't you dare take her out of the village without my permission, do you hear me!?"_

Yeah. Half the village heard him.

And who could forget the first time they came to blows? Kagome surely couldn't, and neither could the proprietor of the oden shop who was now a reluctant owner of a half-outdoor restaurant. The other half that didn't have a skylight was currently under construction and thankfully, no innocent bystanders were harmed when Arashi's chakra-laced kunai blocked Sesshoumaru's poison whip, demolishing the portion that was now under repair. The kitchen miraculously remained intact so the business survived, attracting even more costumers who were strangely drawn to the site of the now legendary argument their Hokage and his daughter's summon got into.

ღ

"What are they arguing about now?" Kakashi asked more than three weeks after the failed invasion as he stood beside his startled student.

Kagome blinked at his sudden appearance. Where did he come from? Too dismayed at the conflict that was once again brewing between her father and her summon, she didn't even notice his and Itachi's arrival. Did all ANBU, former and present, never make a sound when they walked? Was that part of their training or was it just these two?

She shrugged, giving Itachi a small smile and turning a deaf ear to the heated match in their backyard. "Sesshoumaru-san reminded papa that he's not happy about how I've been trained and made a comment about my 'destiny'," she rolled her eyes, "while he was training me today. He blames papa for messing it up and allowing me to learn how to be more like a shinobi instead of being a miko. Papa pointed out that nobody forced me to join the academy and I wouldn't have made a good kunoichi if I didn't train to fight and learn how to defend myself, but I don't think Sesshoumaru-san listened. An untrained kunoichi is a dead shinobi," she intoned in her best Yondaime imitation. "And it all went downhill from there."

That was more or less what they said, only with harsher words and angrier tones but Itachi and Kakashi didn't need to know that, did they?

"They were getting really annoyed with each other so Kagome-chan told them to stop it or take it outside," Haku added helpfully.

"They fight like cats and dogs," Kakashi remarked, laughing at his own joke. The laughter died in his throat when he turned to see that Itachi and Haku weren't laughing with him. "Don't you get it? Cats and dogs ― Arashi-sama would be the cat because Sesshoumaru-sama's a dog demon and it's supposed to be funny," he frowned at their blank looks.

"Yes, that was very funny, Kakashi-san," Itachi humored him without a drop of emotion on his face. Haku nodded beside the Uchiha, forcing a smile.

Kakashi knew when someone was patronizing him. "Why are you here anyway? I thought you weren't due back for another two days?" He asked Itachi.

"The mission was accomplished earlier than predicted and father told me to come here as soon as I could." In all his years as an ANBU captain, most of his missions always wrapped up earlier than expected regardless of the danger involved.

"What could ―" Kakashi's visible eye lit up in understanding, "Oh!" as did his student's.

"Papa! Sesshoumaru-san! Itachi's here to take his charm off. If you want to watch you'd better stop fighting and get here right now because we're not waiting for you!" Kagome demonstrated how good her lungs were.

Sesshoumaru, with a few leaves and twigs in his hair, and a disheveled Arashi, who had dirt all over his clothes and smudges in his face, appeared in front of them several seconds later even as a dust cloud in the distance still hasn't settled down from their earlier tousle.

"Do it," Sesshoumaru ordered.

Itachi mentally shrugged and reached for the charm he gave Kagome on her bracelet. There were only three left ― his, her father's and her brother's. From what he'd heard so far, the bracelet was the catalyst for the Yondaime and the dog demon's second huge confrontation. The details he got were a little sketchy, but he learned enough to know that Sesshoumaru was very displeased with Mushin's intentions, however good they were, enough to draw his sword against him when it was revealed that the old monk was behind it.

Behind what exactly? He had still yet to ask Kagome for the full story, but as far as he knew and if his informants were to be believed (namely, his brother and his father), Mushin cast a spell on it to limit Kagome's power. From the time she put it on and each time a new charm was added, the more fortified the spell became, gathering energy from each person who gave her a trinket to add to the bracelet she hasn't taken off since she put it on all those years ago. For that same reason, it took everyone who ever gave her a charm on the bracelet to remove their respective gifts individually, since no one else could dislodge a charm they didn't bestow themselves.

Kagome just thought the craftsmanship was impressive and therefore made her precious arm accessory virtually indestructible, but Mushin confessed that its indestructibility was a part of his spell, too.

It was a precaution, the monk defended himself. After the bizarre incident several seasons ago when Kagome was admitted to the hospital for spiritual ki exhaustion and discharged a whole lot of negative waves, Mushin took it upon himself to ensure that it never happened again.

He was fortunate that Arashi was known as the Yellow Flash or else Sesshoumaru's sword would've chopped his head right off of his shoulders.

Kagome was furious enough to consider her own subjugation spell at him, but Naruto found it extremely funny that his sister was the recipient of the very spell that she was so fond of threatening him. He stopped laughing a moment later when he received a bruising kick to his shins.

The removal process of each piece was tedious, delayed by the conflicting schedules that each charm-giver genin and up had. They also had to track down Tsunade, a task that took Naruto and Jiraiya almost two weeks to accomplish ― a forced errand given to him by Arashi for his earlier callousness.

Frowning at the minute jolt that the removal of the small Uchiha fan caused, Itachi handed the charm back to its owner for safekeeping. Now there were only two left. Kagome ruefully sighed, feeling the familiar depression that came with each reduction. According to Mushin, it was an effect of a spell he cast that influenced her _not_ to take off the charm bracelet, and she hated it.

"We'll take off the last charms after dinner," Arashi decided. Naruto was out with Jiraiya for their daily training but the duo always made it in time for dinner, the gluttons. He was still unsure of the outcome and couldn't shake the feeling of impending doom somehow, but he knew for sure that he didn't want his daughter's potential to be left untapped. _Maybe the impending doom is brought by our unwanted house guest who couldn't tell that his welcome has been worn out already._

"And then the miko can start her true training," Sesshoumaru added, then suddenly stopped and turned to stare a fast approaching whirlwind. The Konoha shinobi wondered what was going on in his mind, but wisely kept their mouths shut and quizzically looked at the odd phenomenon that was quickly heading towards them, too.

"Sesshoumaru, you bastard!" The whirlwind revealed an attractive, barefooted, raven haired, blue-eyed stranger who looked angry enough to kill the demon lord. Was that a real tail sticking out from behind him? "You left in the middle of our argument! I know you're just trying to avoid me, but let me tell you that it won't work, buddy! I'll follow you to the ends of the earth, across barriers, even if you cross the border to the human world, until you tell me what you know about―" he stopped, nose twitching as he suddenly realized they had company.

The shinobi assumed the stranger knew their resident demon lord, but they didn't know if he was going to be friendly or hostile towards them. Arashi tensed when the stranger's gaze landed on him, specifically, and his body readied for a fight. Wait, no. The stranger wasn't looking at him, he was looking at ―

"Kagome!" Kouga shouted in glee, shocking everyone but Sesshoumaru by his actions as he blurred out of view, picked her up, twirled her happily in his arms and tenderly hugged her. Kagome remained as stiff as a statue, at a loss on how to deal with the affectionate stranger who was holding her too close. If his actions didn't anger or shock most of the shinobi gathered, his next words would surely have done it.

"I knew you'd come back to me someday! Sesshoumaru, why didn't you tell me you were meeting with my woman when you left? I wanted to welcome her return, too!"

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_I'll keep the Yondaime's name as it is now because I don't have the patience to go back 100,000+ words and correct it. ;; It won't really matter since this is an AU and I wrote it before Kishimoto-sensei named him, ne? __Thanks to everyone who review and place this story in their C2s, favorites and alerts._


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